Boss fumes as ‘pathetic’ employee calls in sick because she has ‘sore gums’

One employer has blasted the reason an employee gave for calling in sick, as the boss did not think it warranted taking the day off work – despite being a painful condition

When you’re feeling ill, it is important to be able to take time off work if you need to. Rest and recovery go hand in hand, and you don’t want to jeopardise your health for a job. Staying away from work is also important if you might put others at risk – either by spreading infection or performing your tasks dangerously.

Despite this, one business owner has blasted an employee for calling in sick – and several people took the employer’s side. The coffee shop boss went so far as to slam the worker as “pathetic”. The problem? The staff member took time off because she had “sore gums”.

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Posting to Mumsnet, the disgruntled owner shared their side of the story. The post read: “I own a coffee shop and one of my members of staff has ring in because she has sore gums, she then went on to tell me it’s because her period is due and it affects her gums.

“I mean I know any sort of soreness /pain isn’t nice but not exactly your leg hanging off.”

“Aibu?” (Am I being unreasonable?), the message concluded.

Sharing further insight in a comment, the boss added: “I told her warm salt gargles would help…she said it wouldn’t and that was end of conversation.

“She said see you next week hopefully.”

Another follow-up comment read: “It’s honestly pathetic. Fair enough wisdom tooth pain etc but not gum soreness. I think I’ve finally heard it all.”

And people were quick to take the employer’s side, suggesting it was the worker who was acting unreasonably.

One person wrote: “That isn’t something you can reasonably stay off work for. It doesn’t affect your ability to work. If I was able to sack that person I would, otherwise just manage her out. Either way I wouldn’t continue to employ her.”

And another asked: “Isn’t this what paracetamol is for?”

However, others defended the employee. One responder shared they had recently suffered gum problems so severe that “it was enormously painful to bite down in anything and the pain had me in tears at some point.”

“I don’t know if I’d have had time off work but it definitely made me feel miserable and I was very snappy to everyone around me,” they added.

Someone else argued: “I’m almost tempted to say she must genuinely be in debilitating pain, because surely if she just wanted to skive off she could come up with a better excuse than that.”

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