Nosy Coworker Spies On Colleague Who Takes A Sick Day, Quickly Falls On Her Face

Fresh out of college, you have so many dreams and aspirations, but sometimes, they can turn to dust when you enter the corporate world. I know that’s not always true, but I guess it depends on the kind of coworkers or managers you end up with.

This man was unfortunately stuck with a nosy colleague who literally spied on him when he called in sick. To top it off, his toxic boss believed her lies and called him out for it. However, the sabotage team quickly fell on its face when HR got involved and took strict action. Here’s what happened…

More info: Reddit

The corporate world can be a daunting place if you are stuck with toxic coworkers or managers

Woman stalking colleague in car with worried expression, confirming he’s sick, soon feeling regretful after turning him in

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The poster’s husband was so sick that she had to take him to the ER, so he called work and informed them about his absence

Woman stalks colleague to confirm he’s sick, regrets it after turning him in and discovering serious health issues.

Text describing a woman stalking a colleague to confirm he is sick, later regretting turning him in at work.

Woman stalking colleague to confirm sickness, facing regret after turning him in, shared in a text message conversation.

Woman stalks colleague to confirm sickness, notices him outside, and later regrets reporting he lied about being sick.

Woman stalks colleague at work to confirm he’s sick, later regrets turning him in after consequences unfold.

Image credits: Pookie1028

Woman with red hair drinking coffee and holding tablet, reflecting on glass wall, symbolizing stalking colleague to confirm sickness.

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The couple found out that his coworker, who got more workload due to his absence, spied on their house and reported to the boss that he lied

Text explaining a woman stalking colleague to confirm he is sick, leading to regret after reporting him at work.

Text excerpt showing a manager becoming defensive when asked for proof of sickness after a colleague stalks him.

Text excerpt explaining HR involvement after a woman stalks colleague to confirm he’s sick and regrets turning him in.

Email notification to employees about sick time laws and a ban on stalking or spying on colleagues outside work.

Image credits: Pookie1028

Man in hospital gown sitting in a medical room with bandage on arm, relating to colleague sick and stalking story.

Image credits: alrasyiqin / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The boss called out the man for taking an off  day “under false pretense,”  but he got HR involved in anger and showed them all the proof

Text excerpt from a story about a woman stalking a colleague to confirm he’s sick and regretting turning him in.

Text explaining a woman stalking a colleague to confirm he is sick, regretting it after reporting him at work.

Text excerpt about a woman stalking colleague to confirm he’s sick and privacy breaches at work.

Text on white background describing consequences after confirming a colleague’s sickness led to firing and demotion.

Image credits: Pookie1028

HR instantly took action, firing the entitled colleague and demoting the toxic manager for believing her lies

Be warned, for today’s story might just peak your frustration because of an entitled employee and a toxic boss, but trust me, it has quite a satisfactory ending. It started when Reddit user Pookie1028 had to rush her husband to the ER after he passed out from dehydration. Naturally, he informed his work that he won’t be able to make it due to his medical condition.

The couple was already in distress, when the next day, the man received a call from his boss. Apparently, he was going to write him up for “calling out ‘under false pretense’ and causing staffing issues.” The confused guy did a little digging and uncovered that one of his entitled employees, who got more work due to his absence, was behind this ridiculous accusation. 

She actually went to his house to see if he was telling the truth and spied on him. OP has a neighbor who resembles her husband a little, and the entitled woman thought it was him and reported the whole thing to the boss. How pathetic, right? Even the manager willingly accepted her lies and got all defensive when the poster’s husband questioned their behavior.

In fact, he reported the whole thing to HR along with proof that he had been in the ER, and boy oh boy did it hit the mark! Upon further investigation, management found out that the entitled employee got OP’s personal details from their manager’s computer, which she had access to! Here’s the juiciest part of the story, though: this woman was fired, and the boss also got demoted!

Man in office speaking on phone, expressing frustration while discussing colleague's sickness and workplace conflict.

Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Netizens were, of course, shocked by the woman’s actions and the manager’s blindness to the truth, but they enjoyed how revenge was quickly served to both. Bored Panda got in touch with HR specialist Nicola Dias to get deeper insights about the matter at hand. She flagged down the actions of the employee and the boss as highly unprofessional and quite controlling.

“First of all, it doesn’t make sense that the manager got involved when the employee took an off. Trying to find out the reason behind someone taking leave is an act of extreme toxicity. To top it off, when an employee’s private health information is accessed or shared without their permission, it can seriously shake their sense of trust and safety at work,” she explained.

Our expert noted that such an instance throws a bad light not just on the management, but also on the company’s ability to hire capable leadership and employees. Nicola also firmly stressed that when an employee feels the need to check up on a coworker’s sick leave, it’s often a sign that trust and communication are breaking down within the team.

“People’s absolutely ridiculous actions in this story clearly indicate that boundaries aren’t being respected in their workplace. When managers play favorites or turn a blind eye to this stuff, it creates a culture of mistrust and control. A healthy workplace should feel safe, not like you’re being watched or judged all the time,” Nicola concluded. 

Well, it’s a good thing then that HR took swift action against the two people. Netizens were also surprised by their quickness and applauded them for it. Do you agree with the Redditors? Also, what are your thoughts about this story? Let us know in the comments below!

Folks online couldn’t believe the coworker’s audacity to actually spy on the man, but they were delighted that HR took swift action

ALT text: Woman stalks colleague to confirm illness, later regrets turning him in after uncovering unexpected truth in workplace conflict.

Screenshot of a Reddit conversation discussing HR and confirming a colleague’s sickness with comments on health and recovery.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment where a woman stalks a colleague to confirm he’s sick and regrets turning him in.

Screenshot of an online conversation about a woman stalking a colleague to confirm he’s sick and regretting turning him in.

Screenshot of an online comment stating That seems fair, related to a story about a woman stalking colleague to confirm sickness.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment stating the manager should have been fired in a thread about a woman stalking a colleague to confirm he’s sick.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing a woman stalking a colleague to confirm he’s sick and regretting turning him in.

Screenshot of a user comment about a woman stalking a colleague to confirm he’s sick and regretting turning him in.

Alt text: Woman stalking colleague to confirm sickness, later regretting turning him in after discovering the truth at work.

Woman stalking colleague outdoors to confirm he is sick, looking regretful after turning him in at the workplace.

Alt text: Woman stalks colleague to confirm he’s sick and regrets turning him in in a tense workplace confrontation.

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