'Dogs Take Priority Over Staff': Internet Slams Boss For Denying Emergency Leave

Unexpected events that force employees off work are inevitable. While most professional and sensible managers understand this, some see workers asking for a leave of absence as unacceptable.

Source: stock.adobe.com

Taking to the subreddit r/antiwork, Amy, a worker at a dog daycare, shared grab shots of the conversation between her and her boss. It was 6.14 a.m. on July 18th when she texted him to ask for a day off due to a family emergency: "I tried calling the LDCD phone listed online but it didn't work. I need to call out of work today for a personal emergency, my sister needs me to drive down to her house near Vancouver. If you could please let me whoever needs to be let know I would appreciate it!!"

Source: stock.adobe.com

Since she did not know who to contact, she explained her reason to the manager. She apologized for the inconvenience and ensured she could cover her shift the next day.
However, the boss’s response appalled the poster: "Hi Amy - next time, call instead of text please. We don't usually hire part-time staff. I get the feeling this is not going to work between us. Please make your mind up if you want the job or not."
The manager told her that the company did not have available staff to cover her shift, so she had to choose to go to work or lose her job. He added: "We function more like a sports team instead of a traditional employer. If we schedule you to take care of our Dogs, we need you to have a provable, real reason to take off. Dogs take priority over staff."’

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The boss considered the Redditor’s reason suspicious and required clearer evidence. He conceived of his business as a sports team rather than ordinary models. Furthermore, he emphasized that the company put their dogs over their employees, which drove the poster mad.
"I understand your motto but I need to prioritize my family today over my work as I'm sure if you had a family emergency you would do the same," she typed. "I'll be at work tomorrow for the dogs unless you don't want me there."

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In the afternoon, Amy texted her boss with an indignant tone due to his lack of sympathy: "Not that it's ANY of your business whatsoever, but the fact that something like a family emergency needs to be 'provable' is beyond ridiculous. These things are not planned, hence, 'emergency.'"

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According to the Redditor, the “sports team” analogy sounded ridiculous with “just a few cents more than minimum wage” she earned. Additionally, a sports team would replace a player with a reserve one in some unavoidable circumstances. In contrast, her company was not able to find a person to fill one shift.
"If LDCD really functions as a 'sports team,' you would think that means you would have a 2nd and 3rd employee waiting on the 'bench' as a 'substitution' in case an employee calls out last minute," the poster told her boss.

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Eventually, she decided to quit, although she had been willing to be responsible for all her planned shifts before the conversation.
"I was more than prepared to come in tomorrow and for the rest of my scheduled shifts but your bizarre lack of compassion for your employees is not something I align with or want to associate with," she said. "Perhaps you were having a bad day; but so was my family and me. Take me out of the season coach!"

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Under the post, many commenters shared their stories with their boss or workers. All people agreed that employees had the right to be off work in some unexpected situations. There was no need for specific reasons as it was a private problem, and the manager should be accountable for filling the void.

Source: r/antiwork/

Source: r/antiwork/

Source: r/antiwork/

Source: r/antiwork/

The poster earned praises from the internet as she stood up against the controlling manager. They appreciated the way Amy refuted her boss’s arguments and her determination to give up the job. A Redditor showed sympathy for Amy as she also worked at a low-paid dog daycare in a toxic environment.

Source: r/antiwork/

Source: r/antiwork/

Source: r/antiwork/

Some mocked the boss’s comparison of his business and a sports team. Reddit stated that he should pay his workers a matching wage if he wanted them to put their job over their families.

Source: r/antiwork/

Source: r/antiwork/

Do you think the poster was on the right? If you were her, would you quit your job? What do you think about the “sports team” analogy? What would your boss do in similar situations? Please write down your thought in the comment below!