A boss who told employees at a pizza restaurant chain has been slammed after telling employees not to take sick leave over the Christmas holiday period.
The boss made the request in a note that was promptly snapped and shared onto the r/mildlyinfuriating Reddit board where it quickly went viral. In the post, which can be seen here, was shared by the account Goodn00l3 who bemoaned the bizarre request.
The note, stuck to the wall of a Sbarro restaurant in California, read: "From November 25th, until December 31st, there is a blackout on vacation days, time off, and there will be no exceptions for calling off, taking sick days, given that these are our busiest days of the year, we will need all hands on deck. Thank you." Goodn00l3 captioned the photo: "Why does corporate think this is OK? God forbid I get sick. [The] company doesn't give a ****."
Speaking to the Mirror on the condition of anonymity, Goodn00l3 said they accepted some of the points in the note, but strongly disagreed with others. "I understand black out for vacation and time off [but] I was baffled to see that 'sick time' is also off limits."
According to California law, employers are required to provide employees with at least 40 hours or five days paid sick leave per year as long as they have been employed with the business for at least 30 days within a year in the state. An employer in California cannot deny an employee the right to use accrued sick days, although some states such as Alabama do not regulate sick leave beyond offering unpaid leave for certain medical situations.
In the UK, employees are entitled to sick pay and to take sick days due to illness. You are advised to tell your employer as soon as possible that you will not be able to attend work and they do have the right to request a "return to work" interview when you are back.
Since being uploaded on November 20, the post has received more than 84,000 upvotes and ignited a discussion around sick leave. Many of those who commented were damning about the business's response.
Reddit user Gregib tried to inject some humour into the situation, adding: "If you die, you have to inform management three days prior." BillyWordsWorth shared a comment laced with irony: "Look, you have a right to work for less pay, fewer benefits, and worse conditions. Don’t let the evil unions take that right away from you."
While thecompanysociopath posted: "Christmas is for everyone but employees." And user ashleyorelse simply said: "Boss needs to be visited by three ghosts."
The Mirror has contacted Sbarro for comment about the note.