Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

Add post form topAdd Post
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Employee Is Ready To Return To Work After Injury, Is Informed That They Already Have A Replacement
4

Employee Is Ready To Return To Work After Injury, Is Informed That They Already Have A Replacement

Employee Is Ready To Return To Work After Injury, Is Informed That They Already Have A ReplacementWorker Plans To Return To Work After Injury, Receives A Sudden Notice About Getting ReplacedBoss Shows No Intention To Fire Employee On Sick Leave Until They Are Due To ReturnTwo-Faced Manager Replaced Injured Employee Right Before Them Returning To WorkBoss Kept Wishing Injured Employee To Heal Well, In The Meantime Looked For A Replacement In SecretEmployee Is Ready To Return To Work After Injury, Is Informed That They Already Have A ReplacementEmployee Is Ready To Return To Work After Injury, Is Informed That They Already Have A ReplacementEmployee Is Ready To Return To Work After Injury, Is Informed That They Already Have A ReplacementEmployee Is Ready To Return To Work After Injury, Is Informed That They Already Have A Replacement
ADVERTISEMENT

When a sports star is injured and then traded to another team, fans often accuse the franchise of being disloyal to the player who gave the team strength and talent at the risk of health. Yes, such criticism is almost always fair, but let’s look more broadly – cases like this occur in our lives all the time.

Managers fire employees literally out of the blue, and unlike football or basketball players, employees here do not have a multimillion-dollar contract behind them. Only unemployment benefits, nothing else. The sad story of the user u/ShowerForsaken2190 is another confirmation of this.

RELATED:

    The author of the post once injured their shoulder and had to miss four weeks for healing

    Image credits: Ryutaro Tsukata (not the actual photo) 

    The manager, however, supported the worker verbally and wished them a speedy recovery

    Image credits: u/ShowerForsaken2190

    Image credits: Annie Spratt (not the actual photo) 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: u/ShowerForsaken2190

    The employee told the boss about their healing progress every week and each time the manager wished them nothing but good

    Image credits: Mikhail Nilov (not the actual photo) 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: u/ShowerForsaken2190

    Imagine the author’s frustration and anger when only a week before returning to work, the boss told them the company had already replaced them

    In fact, the story is as simple as a dime and as old as the world – the original poster (OP) did their job well but one really bad day somehow managed to dislocate their shoulder. According to the doctors, the recovery was supposed to take about four weeks. Of course, there was no need to talk about any work at that time, but the boss supported the injured employee.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Every week, the author of the post told the manager about the progress in their healing process, and he, in turn, wished the subordinate a speedy recovery. This idyll ended a week before the expected return to work – the boss simply announced that the company had already replaced the employee, so there was nowhere for them to return now…

    In the OP’s own words, they have always been as loyal as possible to their company, trying to work as efficiently as possible, not being late and providing good customer service. The response to this attitude was the dismissal at the most inopportune moment, after the boss had kept the employee under the illusion that they were needed over those three weeks, but in fact, obviously, was looking for a replacement. As soon as a replacement was found, the employee abruptly ceased to be needed. Nothing personal, just business…

    Image credits: Linkedin Sales Solutions (not the actual photo) 

    “Certainly, this situation looks ugly on the part of the employer,” says Alexei Shkurat, founder and owner of Peach art studio in Ukraine, with whom Bored Panda got in touch for a comment on the described case. “Loyalty is always a two-way street, and if a business expects staff to treat the company well and respectfully, it must, above all, ensure the same towards employees.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “Yes, there can be completely different situations – for example, the workflow could not stand idle in the absence of this employee, but then the manager in any case should have warned the worker and at least given them the opportunity to look for a new job. Or taken a temporary replacement, for the recovery period. Then that would be fair. At least in my book, it looks like this,” Alexei presumes.

    Commenters, of course, also united in support of the original poster, although the most they could give them in this situation was just encouraging words or useful advice. As we can see, the author actually received both. For example, people in the comments brought a lot of their own sad stories from work. And after all these stories, according to commenters, employers dare to complain that ‘no one wants to work anymore…’

    As for useful advice, some commenters sincerely believe that the author of the post should take legal action against their former employer, because if things are exactly as described in the post, then it looks contradictive not only to common sense but also the law. “I’d contact your State Labor Department, followed by an attorney, for a free consultation. I’m fairly certain what your boss did is illegal,” one of the people in the comments wrote. The author of the post promised to follow this advice. After all, what else could they actually do…

    ADVERTISEMENT

    In our difficult times, such situations occur, alas, very often. For example, the newly minted boss in this story of ours ranted for a long time about the lack of employee loyalty – until the company management fired him without any notice. And if you have also experienced or witnessed similar stories in your own life, please feel free to share them in the comments below this post – who knows, maybe your experience would be wholesome for someone too.

    Commenters also shared their own similar stories, and suggested that the author take legal action against their ex-employer

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    Share on Facebook
    Oleg Tarasenko

    Oleg Tarasenko

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

    Read less »
    Oleg Tarasenko

    Oleg Tarasenko

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

    Read less »

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

    What do you think ?
    Add photo comments
    POST
    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    People like to trash the UK a lot, but this sort of thing, quite rightly, just isn't allowed to happen.

    Fat Harry
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not specific to the UK. Most (all?) EU countries have the same protections. Many of our workers' rights came from EU legislation.

    Load More Replies...
    AtMostTheFabulist
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you have FMLA then you can miss time and your job is protected. If you have ADA, which is what you can apply for If you don't get FMLA, the company can replace you, but have to give you 30 days to find another job in the company. If you have neither you are SOL. Definitely a d**k move from the boss, but we need more info.

    Jaguarundi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, USA here. In the state that I worked in (Connecticut) it was perfectly legal for you to be terminated while you were on "Workmen's Compensation" if you were injured at work and couldn't perform your "duties as assigned". This could happen to you during your reporting of your injuries from the emergency room. So, you could be unemployed, injured, unhirable and trying to survive on your compensation wages until your doctor released you. Your former employer was under no obligation to re-hire you. This type of garbage is why unions exist in the US.

    Load More Comments
    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    People like to trash the UK a lot, but this sort of thing, quite rightly, just isn't allowed to happen.

    Fat Harry
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not specific to the UK. Most (all?) EU countries have the same protections. Many of our workers' rights came from EU legislation.

    Load More Replies...
    AtMostTheFabulist
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you have FMLA then you can miss time and your job is protected. If you have ADA, which is what you can apply for If you don't get FMLA, the company can replace you, but have to give you 30 days to find another job in the company. If you have neither you are SOL. Definitely a d**k move from the boss, but we need more info.

    Jaguarundi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, USA here. In the state that I worked in (Connecticut) it was perfectly legal for you to be terminated while you were on "Workmen's Compensation" if you were injured at work and couldn't perform your "duties as assigned". This could happen to you during your reporting of your injuries from the emergency room. So, you could be unemployed, injured, unhirable and trying to survive on your compensation wages until your doctor released you. Your former employer was under no obligation to re-hire you. This type of garbage is why unions exist in the US.

    Load More Comments
    You May Like
    Related on Bored Panda
    Related on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda