
Boss Notices His Employee Sobbing At Her Desk, And His Act Of Kindness Turns Her Into The Best Employee
Companies often take their employees for granted. Withholding raises and promotions, piling up extra work and eliminating fringe benefits, they certainly know how to take advantage of their workers. But it doesn’t have to be like this. And this story by Bernie Reifkind proves it. Recently, he told his LinkedIn connections about the time he stumbled upon a mom employee, crying at her desk. She’d been up all night, was out of sick days, and her child was ill. However, instead of telling her to suck it up, Bernie did something that modern managers are forgetting about. It’s called being a decent human being and showing empathy.
More info: LinkedIn
Image credits: Bernie Reifkind
Image credits: Bernie Reifkind
But if you’re unhappy with your boss and think that your long days and flat paychecks are making the company rich, there are things you can do to get a bigger piece of the pie. The first step would be to approach your supervisor to ask for more money, better hours, a lighter workload, a promotion or some other perks. However, don’t demand. “The way you ask is important,” Holly G. Green, CEO and managing director of The Human Factor, told Monster.
“Start the conversation with phrases like ‘It seems as if the company has really turned around and is doing well, based on our most recent quarterly results. Can you help me understand how this will affect employees as we continue to do well?'”
Also, John O’Connor, president of Career Pro, advised against letting emotion get the better of you when you’re asking for what you think you deserve. “Don’t speak out in anger because it will never advance your career,” he said.
“Companies are asking for a lot right now, but if they don’t live up to their promises and it’s affecting your health and sanity and performance, be looking for a place that validates you,” O’Connor added.
Only in America. I am so glad I live in Belgium. But then again, we pay +50% of our income to taxes. And you now what, I have absolutely no problem with that. You know why? - no college debt for half your life - absence for medical reasons is always coverd (no loss of salary) - on top of that, you have (minimum) 20 days off, your choice when to take them (+ some additional, guaranteed off- days, like when a relative dies or your children are ill) - doctors' and hospital cost wouldn't bankrupt us - one of the best educational systems in the world - if you're fired, we have a strong social security safety net but the most surrealist political system;;; ;D
Hans my good sir.. this is heartbreaking for me .. I don't want to cry you a river of my problems but I'll tell you they run deeper than I ever thought be possible.. I'm ashamed of my country's greed and love of violence.. just yesterday we had another school shooting... I beg, wish dream of living such a life. In America we are Free.. Free to suffer , Free to owe the government 100k $ in debt at twenty years old for school ,, but cannot obtain a home loan for 10,20 or 30k . Our food is full of chemicals there are recalls of meat , fruits and vegetables seemingly monthly.. and the health, medical issues it all causes is too expensive to even get help with.. Hans it almost don't seem real what your saying.. this is my dream to live in Belgium
When I was a dumb Teenager in the 80s the USA was my "hero country" . Everything seem to be better than where I live. Today I thank god not to live in the US
In Norway too. Blessed to be born here. I do feel sad for Us citizens..
The US has gone from Democracy to Corpocracy. Corporations, big business, and the uberrich get the pleasure to decide and the common people, the Demos, get to do what they are told, say 'Yes, Sir' and follow orders. "In the free world you are living, in the free world you must stay" (Phil Ochs). I recently read that an "Oregon Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail -- for Collecting Rainwater on His Property". . . https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/oregon-man-sentenced-30-days-jail-collecting-rainwater-his-property . . . The land of the free??? PLEASE VOTE!!!
There are a lot of countries like Belgium. Just in my personal experience: France and Japan (though University is not free in Japan while it is in France) but there are more (almost all Europe for example). I don't know what are your options but you could find a job in one of those to get a visa and move there, if you can stand living far from your family and friends.
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I wish the U.S. would get on board with the rest of the world, but they would rather their citizens struggle than do what is right.
Keep the citizens poor and uneducated, and you can manipulate them however you want.
Yep, England here, we have a share of issues like anyone elsae but like you said, i can be ill and not be bankrupt, get 31 holiday days a year plus an additional 14 days of non-serious sickness pay if i need them, yes we pay tax and i'm happy to pay it so it means we can look after our vulnerable in society and if i ever need help i know it's there.
Ubelievably high prices for houses and questionable double-standard food aside, thank God I live in Czech Republic and have extremely benevolent employer.
Even in Poland is similar as in Belgium (although we have our own problems and rather shitty wages). 20-26 holiday days (depends on the years of work, studies count to it), additional days off for funerals, getting married (or when your child is getting married), for taking care of your children or other members of your family, etc. Sick days are paid 80%, unless this is maternity sick leave, then it's 100% plus there is one year of maternity leave after the child is born which you can partially share with the other parent. It is surprising for me how the sick leave can be limited - how you can do that? People can't predict how long and how often they might be sick, it's not logical...here, you can't fire someone who is on a sick leave or maternity leave/pregnant, it's forbidden by law and trying to do it ends in law suit which is for sure won by employee.
I have a secret most place only give 1 week vacation after you have worked for more than a year and after five or ten years you get two weeks. And insurance but like my husband we have to pay 7k and 12k dollars before the will pay the cost and that can be 12k a year .. nice huh... I'm my family I'm very sick and my son's have issues one has heart disease... 1 of my medication is $800. For 90 pills of Elmiron for my bladder.. my husband works sick .. we can't even afford to have his issues checked. Land of the Free.. ya right.. and women's rights here... Forgote
"Only in America", huh? The world is bigger than America and Belgium. Greetings from an Italo-Croatian in S. Korea. ♥ (While health care is way better in all these 3 countries compared to the USA, the employment system? Not so much....)
It's called being civilized... also the Healthcare is one of many western values usa hates because usa is fucking stupid
Here in Canada we're at about 35-40% and I don't mind cause I've had my fair share of free healthcare. Growing up I never had to worry about putting my parents in debt with my many hospitalizations. As an adult I have never worried about my surgeries or my children getting sick and not being able to get them the healthcare they've needed. I don't understand how a country can deny that a healthy population is a productive happy population.
I'm also born and bred in Belgium (Antwerp - the center of the world!) and I would not for the life of me want to live anywhere else. I have triggerfingers which means every so many years one of my fingers is operated on. I get to choose the day of the operation. Me! The surgeon actually asks me what day suits me best. And after the surgery I get a week sick leave, paid. Yes, I'm all for paying taxes.
I live in Denmark and I am soooo glad I escaped the US many years ago. I used to think I would like to live there again, but no more! Here we pay about 50% in taxes but then the cost of medical, and education is covered. And people don’t starve to death (unless they really want to!).
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You do realise income taxes are theft right? You have to pay taxes, for the privilege of working. Are you sh*tting me? I understand the 14% social security we pay. But paying because we work?!? That's BULLSH*T. Theft, plain and simple. And yes, I said we, I live in Flanders. All the other taxes we pay, apart from income taxes, should be plenty for governments to pay the bills...
Please troll in a more original manner.
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LIving in the Netherlands this is totally beyond anything I could imagine. I understand that companies aren't some kind of charitable organisation but ffs what is wrong with treating employees like they are actually human beings? None of this could happen in my country. Sick days? Yes we have them. You can stay sick for up to 730 days before the employer can fire you. Not allowed to attend a funeral? Nope. It's your legal right. Firing someone for being sick or recovering? No, impossible. Ok, we pay taxes but we all get more security and protection in return.
This is what boggles my mind. Here in North America, we pay taxes. And yet, some citizens (Usually Conservatives and Republicans) seem to think that it's perfectly fine to gut social programs, and only aid the rich, who barely pay any taxes at all. In this day and age, taxes are supposed to be paying for social programs that help everyone.
The US is the only country in the world where multi-billion companies and billionaires pay less taxes than a $20,000 income household. It's also the only country where people work 40 hours per week for Amazon and still have to rely on foodstamps to make ends meet. Foodstamps are paid for with taxmoney, yet Amazon didn't pay any taxes in 2018. Which means that your tax money is funding a billion dollar company and the owner who has a private capital of over $108 billion.
The American taxpayer is funding the so-called defense industry. You will find that countries with a better "people system" spend more on health and schools and less on the military. Why? "The US and Britain face no existential threat. So why do their wars go on?" https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/15/britain-and-us-wars-conflicts-middle-east
You're woefully uninformed if you think the wealthy "barely pay any taxes at all."
Dutchy here, my manager thought he was in the US and tried to fire me on the spot for not agreeing how I managed my team (I'm more of the loyal to my team to get them happy and working hard kinda person). That backfired very quickly for my employer. It really doesn't work like that, you have to make a case (or both agree of course, that's an option). Even if the law is becoming more lenient towards employers, they still need a very good reason and documentation of it to break open a contract. It's not just about taxes and social security, because you are of course required to do your job in exchange for your pay. It's mostly about making employers to be more loyal and steer away from a fearful workforce.
I rely on disability in the USA because I have active seizures. The income from disability isn't enough to live on. You have to choose do I want my medication or do I want food. Rent for places to live cost almost all of your income. I've talked to people who can't get disability and have to work while they have active seizures and they talk about being fired job after job due to having too many days off work or having seizures makes them unable to do their job and it scares other employees so in turn, creates the ability of other employees to do their job efficiently. Our health system is terrible. I am married so I can have a place to live and I have food, but medication costs, even under Medicare, are outrageous and create debt. This shouldn't happen
Wait... you mean treating employees like human beings and being kind and empathetic makes them more productive and willing to do more for your company? NO WAY
The fact that you even HAVE sick days that you can RUN OUT OF, is ridiculous. You're not a hero for giving her one extra day. In civilized countries you can be sick for however long you are sick (obviously it will be checked if it's a long time), not a limited amount of days.
The laws are not that bosses fault though. He stepped up and did the right thing within the confines of that law though.
They aren't laws they are company policies that are usually draconian.
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I worked for a pizza place briefly for a few years. When I started I did not have a car of my own, I was being shuttled to and from work by friends or even my parents. I even walked a few times (bout 5 miles give or take) I was trying to save up enough for down payment and everything that comes with it. My boss wrote me a check for $500 and referred me to a dealership he had a buddy at. Dude told me to just slowly pay him back with my pay checks. I was about half way through paying him back before he told me happy birthday you don't owe me anything more and offered me a higher up position. I will for ever be grateful to him. Probably the best boss I've had!!!
And you were probably one of his best employees ever.
Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not lol but he did not want to let me go and has since asked a few times if I'd come back to work for him. If he offered health benefits and raised my wage to what I currently make I would in a heart beat. Was a good person to work for.
That is awesome!
Your employees carry the weight of YOUR paycheck on their shouldefs, always remember that when dealing with them
They do get something in return. It's a business deal, but it's a deal between a larger organization and an individual that is way more vulnerable than the company they work for. Employers need to remember that people actually bring more than their daily output. They build up invaluable knowledge that is undocumented. When long time (which can be just a few years nowadays) employees leave a company, they take a whole lot of taken for granted knowledge with them. Even if not more so today.
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You suck bill. You have no heart. You think you own someone because you pay them. You're garbage. Let the down votes come. You suck bill. It's people like you that make most of the working people suffer. You think because you pay us, you own us. F**k you.
I'm not sure you understand what Bill's trying to say Ben.
Ben- what sucks is your reading comprehension. Bill is saying that Managers/Owners should be aware that the employees work allows THEM i.e. the Managers/Owners and that M/O's should remember that and treat employees well. Your post makes you sound like just another "poor me- I can't get ahead because I'm being exploited" losers who take no responsibility for themselves. Are some employers complete a**holes that take advantage of workers who are trying to put food on the table? Yes-absolutely. But that isn't universally true and the USA is still the best place on the planet to better yourself. Three years ago I was let go by a corporate nightmare of an employer because "my position had been eliminated"- TWO DAYS AFTER I FINISHED RADIATION TREATMENT and seven months into my cancer battle. I grew up dirt poor and eating government cheese. I worked while the people I grew up with were hitting the bars and put myself through college working (and yes I have student loan debt)
More to Ben- When I was let go I had to take a job making roughly $12K less than I had been. I stuck it out, accomplished things that reflected well on my management skills and was recently offered a position with a great company where I'll make 6 figures for the first time in my life. Yes, life is hard but you'd get a lot farther and be a lot happier if you did something to move yourself forward instead of throwing a hissy fit at some poor guy whose comment YOU misread.
Apparently you have no clue how to comprehend whatm other people write because what he wrote is actually something positive towards employees. It's pathetic that you have hit out at this guy because you're too stupid to understand what you're reading.
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You need a great boss within the US, but in human-friendly governed countries in Europe like Germany this is completely normal and you don't have to beg for it. I don't get how people still think, life in US would be so great after all.
USA here, as will be come abundantly clear. Worked at a hospital and had a kidney stone attack. 4 hours in the Emergency Room and a visit to the CAT scan. AFTER insurance the bill for me to pay was USD $34,000.00. An entire years pay for me at that time. My boss went to the CFO of the hospital and they simply forgave the debt. The hospital routinely forgave debts for the uninsured. That hospital went bankrupt and closed its doors in September of this year after serving the city for over 140 years.
That is such a terrible shame. I do wish things were better for people in the US health-wise.
Every time I see stories like this, that come down to the awful labor laws in the US, I wonder why there hasn't been an uprising by worker's yet. What happened in the US when European workers demanded better rights and got them? Why hasn't this happened over there?
They've got us over a barrel. Corporations have paid for the politicians and people are too poor to miss a day of work, let alone go on strike. We have no means of leverage and approximately 40% are dumb enough to believe whatever line corporations feed them. They actually believe these giant businesses will go under if labor laws are honored or minimum wage is raised.
The answer is called "gerrymandering" (a practice intended to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries) plus that there are far too many people who do not register to vote. PLEASE VOTE!!! Take democracy back from the corporations!
My husband went to the emergency room while I was at work at my old job. My supervisor had to smuggle me out of the building so management wouldn't see me leaving. Another woman's mother had a stroke and they wouldn't let her leave. People have had heart attacks and gone into labor at their desks and gotten penalized for going to the hospital. They wanted us to die for them. Fuck you, Vertex Outsourcing.
good bosses makes good employees! it's not that hard to understand that
I know a company that paid 2 out of 6 doses of a blood cancer treatment (each around 8500 USD) for their employee. The girl lived and even has a baby now :)
What amazes me is how employer's have attendance policies written into their employee handbooks that state quite clearly that they "may" enforce. In other words. An employer can choose NOT to enforce those rules but oftentimes does. Another thing that amazes me is that they bemoan the cost of hiring and training another employee for that position rather than give a little help to the employee trying to make a go of it already there. This employer has done the right thing in so many ways.
I don't believe the story. Employees are not people. They don't have a life outside of work. Employees never get sick. They have no need for weekends, or time to them selves. Employees have no need for hobbies or activities out side of their job. Sick children spouses, or parents are not a thing. Employees are lucky we employ them, and they want paid time off for,not working. Signed, corporate America
Too many of the raised on the motto, "Greed is good." They think if everyone is greedy, it will all work out. Which is why the world is the way it is now.
'Which is why the USA is the way it is now.' See, I fixed it for you. Here is a wonderful example of a different approach: “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.” (said by the King of Bhutan) https://ophi.org.uk/policy/national-policy/gross-national-happiness-index/
This is one of the biggest reasons I want out of the US. I seriously struggle to understand why people from other countries still want to immigrate here. Go someplace that will treat you like the human being you are. America SUCKS
You're employees can make or break your company. Too many bosses don't understand this. No matter how micromanaging you are, they can find a way to screw you over if you make them miserable enough.
I can't get Christmas Day off to spend with my dying father. Breaks my heart.
nononono! IDC what they say, that job is /not/ good for you. If they won't let you off for CHRISTMAS to spend time w your dying father, you need to figure out how to quit. Please, quit if you can.
My husband job would not let him take time off when our 5 week old twin had to have emergency heart surgery ... I couldn't take the other twin into ICU cardiac unit ... I had to give my newborn to someone I really didn't want to because my Target is a miserable company. My son lived and him and his twin are amazing kids.. but making me do it all without him destroyed me. I had very hard time handing my tiny baby to nurses not knowing if I'm going to see him again... I needed him more than I ever.. he also was a complete mess having to work . I wanted my other baby close, still b
Uhhg typo proof I need much more coffee... It's not My Target hahah just Target that retail store.. the one that can afford a manager being with his dying son and very unstable wife, could of kept my other twin boys from having to stay with a monster of a trash heap, (brother's ex wife who tried to have them taken from me when I went through chemotherapy) ( told people I was on drugs and wasn't on chemo..) trash human like I said.
Damn nasty experiences you have had to go through. I sincerely hope that you have left ALL health problems behind and that your husband no longer works for the same employer. My very best wishes to you. Enjoy your precious twins! Kids grow up so fast.
This is why we need to put in place a Universal Basic Income so missing one day of work does not cause major stress and worry. Please look into Andew Yang a dem nominee for president. He has a lot of really great ideas how we could improve the lives of the average hard working people in America. Also its not a pie in the sky idea, we currently let big tech companies make billions in our economy without paying taxes. Andrew Yang would tax them and use that money to pay for the UBI of 1,000 per month to people over the age of 18. Free and clear with no gov program telling you what you can do with it.
Great ideas, but they would have to pass through Congress, which is a group of mostly elderly conservative white men who have gotten quite comfortable in their offices while building their own millions. I am ashamed of my country's actions over the last 3 years. I didn't think that the people we trusted to govern responsibly would keep looking the other way while our "leaders" commit crimes that would have gotten them thrown in jail in the past. It's going to take a long time to repair the damage.
This was a beautiful story, I was working retail at Macy's and my aunt died of cancer , I told them I needed to go. They said, you go your fired. I quit. Fuck Macy's !
I quit my last job because they treated us all like slaves. I thought, I have too much education, experience and self respect to stay at a job like that, so I left. What a blessing because within a week I got hired at my current company. Game room, nap room, my own office, bonuses, yearly salary increased, 3 weeks vacation, and you get to be a human. And I get respect. :-)
Are they hiring?
As a former HR manager, you have to look at the circumstances of the individual and those genuine cases help them as much as possible. I set up trusts with my wonderful employees to help staff with cancer to assist with their medical bills, and yes, i contributed too!
good boss = good employee
Physician here. I get sick days but can't use them because there is never anyone to cover for me and abandoning patients by taking care of myself is an absolute no go. I've been to work fainting and vomiting.
Sadly, this isn't a positive story at all. It's a sign of how fundamentally broken our system is, that common-sense acts of kindness and basic humanity are the exception and not the rule. Every day that passes, it seems more and more that America is simply too broken to fix.
My son is having quite the opposite problem at his job. He has the nicest boss in the world, maybe too nice and people are taking advantage. It's a small office iof 8 employees so he treats everyone to a nice lunch every Friday, allows unlimited days off and everyone is on the honor system. My son says one co-worker has taken 35 days off in the past year and is about to leave for a 2 week honeymoon. Most of the days off were for wedding planning. Not sick days. Every time one employee is out everyone else is left to pick up the slack. She doesn't seem to care. Apparently the boss is uncomfortable speaking to her about, says those parts of being a company owner are not in him. I told my son to suggest they nominate or hire one employee to be manager to handle these issues. They are thinking on it. There's always one, isn't there?
Wilf, we don't have employment contracts like the ones that I hear about from a lot of Europeans. When we are hired at a particular company, we get a formal letter that notes our pay and benefits. A lot of companies, especially those that hire low wage workers, don't even give a letter. It's just, "Your first day is Tuesday, see John Doe to get your uniform."
So what? I took 35 days off last year too- including a couple of 2 week long holidays (one in the summer, one over the Christmas period). All part of my entitlement as stated in my employment contract (I started out on 28 days leave, I get 35 days now because I have been with the company 5 years). Needless to say I don't live in the USA....
Last January; I had to work with a fever of 105, I should have been sleeping, but my "boss" didn't want to call in the other guy, because it would be too difficult for him.. So instead she tries to work me to death.. I put up with it, because WHEN they try to fire me, or permanently let me go, I have some leverage. There are new owners of my work, and I doubt they know, what I know..
that is crazy, we get 32 days sick over 3 years 15 days anual leave a year and 3 dyas family responsibility leave a year and that is just what our goverment demands that u have to give, employees are very protected in south africa, thats one of the main reasons america is not for me
And thats why I left America for Germany.
I did too! New York City for Berlin. Smartest thing I ever did. The government actually works here and people have rights.
America is so messed up! Why is giving people basic workplace rights in the gift of individual "compassionate" managers? Why is it not the law? In the UK you get statutory sick pay for up to 28 weeks. Almost all companies do better than the basic entitlement of the equivalent of about $150 a week- for example my employment contract gives me full pay for 6 months within a 12 month period, and half-pay for any more months up to a total of 12 months.
For a European this sounds so unreal. It seem that the US is stuck in the medieval period and the citizens are the new serfs.
We are 100% serfs.
So many bosses literally stink! This guy however, is a gem! Kudos to you, sir!!
Apparently basic humanity to **others** is an alien concept for many managers (from experiences I've had and seen/heard from others)... I've heard horrific things I should never hear from anyone: "Well, yeah, I get it that she found her son's body hanging from the suicide, but really... c'mon... isn't she over it yet?" - it had been 7 days, "Since your attendance was poor ... because you know, you got approval from the government to take compassionate leave to care for your father until he passed away (3 weeks)... yeah, we can't possibly justify a raise. You're lucky we're keeping you!" - etc. But when it's THEIR turn... oh yeah... 6-8 months later "I need more time, have you no heart?"
Aww, that just warms the cockles of my heart! ONE employer does what any decent human being would have done and everyone gets all warm and fuzzy. Of course he can't help mentioning how it helped his bottom line.
'What happened to employee loyalty?' the bosses whine, 'employees nowadays couldn't give a crap about the company!' They never seem to consider that it's all their fault that things are the way they are. You can't expect an employee to respect their job, unless that job is respectful of them. Can we start treating employees as human beings again? A little kindness goes a long way.
"...today’s real average wage (that is, the wage after accounting for inflation) has about the same purchasing power it did 40 years ago. And what wage gains there have been have mostly flowed to the highest-paid tier of workers." "...among people in the top tenth of the distribution, real wages have risen a cumulative 15.7%..." https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us-workers-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/
This is also the reason why the number of people in employment who are homeless is going up.
My spouse worked near enough our apartment he came home at lunch one day and said he felt very ill. We went to ER at once. This is over 20 years ago, so his beeper went off 23 times as he was in the ER, and continued *ever after I called them to tell them he had to have emergency surgery*. They then said he'd be fired if he wasn't back to work in 10 days. My dad was a union steward. I called the right numbers, and his employer ended up granting 6 weeks' recovery, paid, or face a lawsuit. B/c, in the US, that's what it takes to get human rights like ... time off to recover from major surgery!
Ironically, some employers cannot see anything above and beyond the bottom line ...
Kindness and understanding, go a very long way!
Once American companies get a clue, and treat their employees kindly with compassion, (decent wages & benefits,) and understanding- they will be rewarded tenfold. In employee loyalty. It costs a lot of money to have a 'revolving door' mentality in regard to hiring. Training costs money, and time. If you feel your company doesn't care about you, then you're not going to do your best at work. It's that simple.
Wow, I'm so glad I live in Sweden and don't have to worry about running out of sick days. If I'm not well I call work and stay at home as long as I need. I have 34 days per year paid vacation . Free school with free hot lunches every day. Free colleges, free universities. Childcare. 480 days paid leave for parents to stay home with your kid after it's born. Paid leave to stay home with your kid if it's sick. You don't pay for ambulances, it doesn't matter if its a helicopter or a car, it's free if you're in medical need. If you need medical care you pay €20 to see a doctor, get a surgery, chemo or whatever. Best of all, we don't have Trump.
I am in Australia and my last Boss who was a friend, well at least I thought so. Dangled the sales carrot and never once paid up. He did not pay my super for 3 years, yet still hired more staff and started a second business. And when I finally left he blamed me for the fact his business went under.
Why people continuing working at garbage places ("I was told I'd be fired for going to my mom's funeral," "find someone else to take your wife to the emergency room") is confusing me. Life's too short to work at a job like that and give so much time to be there. Screw that. Polish off your resume and get to finding a better place.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer a week after starting a new job. You can only imagine how stressed out I was. I had an 8 month old baby and we just moved to a new city. I finally approached my new boss and gave him the news that I'd most likely have to have surgery and treatment, etc. And he (the angel that he is) told me not to worry about a thing. And here I am with the same company 3 years later. He not only took care of me and my family as if we were his family. But he has really become a true friend.
Not my bosses (who were in it for how far they could get and how much money they could make), but my coworkers. I had to take time off because I ended up in the hospital with Heart Failure. I had to be off work for about 5 months, I rant out of PTO (Paid Time Off) and I wasn't eligible for Disability yet. My coworkers gave me some of the hours they had of their own PTO, to let me continue being paid. Two of the people who did it, I thought did not like me very much. Maybe they didn't, but I treated them with a lot more respect after I got better.
the reason why companies in America have a standard allotment of sick days is because a lot of Americans are lazy and don't want to come to work. they would use the' I'm sick' and 2 hours later they're out and about. in America they have what is called family medical leave act. its used in situations involving the health of family or themselves. it gets constantly abused.
A true act of kindness needs no audience.
WHAT A TRULY AWESOME GUY WHOSE WORDS ARE SO VERY TRUE!
The original post about the employee sobbing at her desk because she was out of leave echoes my own experience 29 years ago. I have a digestive disorder called gastroparesis, it means "paralyzed stomach". This nasty disease won't let me eat much solid food and flares up so much for so long that I had to go on disability. On that particular day, I hadn't been as nauseated in the morning like I usually was, so I had a 6-inch sub for lunch. Big mistake. When I was done shouting groceries, I went back to my desk, sat down, put my head down on my desk, and whimpered at the remaining nausea. My boss looked at me and told me that I should go home. But I was out of leave. That boss worked with me until my disease went into a sort of remission and was able to resume a normal life except for occasional flare ups. That boss later told me that he learned a lot from my disease on how to be compassionate, support the sick employee, and still get the work done. He was a really good boss.
This is Undercover Boss level, though. I'd be more impressed if he changed the company's policy.
I'm so happy I don't work in the US.
I had a boss who got upset because I asked for a half day off for my best friend's funeral (he passed away too young :( ) The boss was like "But you already took a day off for a funeral last month!" It was my other friend's mother's funeral that time.
Soon after we were married, my husband had to take his dad to the hospital, as he was having a massive heart attack. He worked as an assistant mgr. in a national bookstore chain. He was also an EMT. He called ahead to the manager that he would be a bit late, because of his father's heart attack, and when he got to work...about a half an hour late, the manager was there, waiting for him to sign the write-up she had prepared for being late to the job, and continued to berate him!! Years later, with another company, this time a book wholesaler for airports, he broke his collar bone, and called his boss (an elderly woman who was incapable of doing much physical work that this job required) to tell her that he was unable to go to work the next day because of his snapped collar bone. She called him back within 5 minutes, to yell at him that he needed to be "part of the solution" to get the job done on time!!! The solution being that I did his job with him...for no pay!!!
My problem with this is that the Family Medical Leave Act prevents employers from firing employees when it becomes necessary for the employee to take time off for sick immediate family or for their own medical procedures. If an employer threatens to fire you, get it on tape or get them to write down what disciplinary action will be taken if you take time off for medical leave. If you get fired...you can take them to court and sue them for wrongful termination. And, unlike criminal cases, you can submit recordings of conversations, even if the other person is unaware that they were being recorded at the time.
Hmm. My husband has worked at his company for 20 years. He's had one raise in all that time. He's afraid to leave because he's nearing 60 and doesn't think he will find another job to last the decade until he can think of retiring.
Im working under nice boss and im never pick up days off, not because days off limitation but i have no idea what to do in my days off.
I knew a person who worked for 20 yrs at our country national airline company but was among the 2nd batch retrenched. The 1st batch got garden leave and was prohibited to enter the company premises; not even to fetch their belongings at their desk. My acquaintance used to stay back until 12am sometimes had to ask family members to sent clothes for next morning office attaire because was very committed to the job. Although the national news at our country quoting the company's rep and our nation PM said that the decision had to made in such a way because of the brutality of airline competition and the price of oil had risen tremendously at that time, one would always wonder if it has anything to do to the fate of 2 of their aircraft 2 years prior. Especially when the PM at that time announce an act that blatantly protected the company for 5 years from any legal action from any parties (individual(s), company(ies) and even from their former staffs. Can you guess which national airline I'm refering to?
I had a female manager(her being female is important) tell me that my wife is a big girl and can go to her surgery appointments without me, my wife was going to have back surgery, that is not something she should go through alone.
Why Was He Not On The News As Manager Of The Century?!
I was the model employee until my son got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I almost lost him 4 times from diabetes related complications. He has a severe form of it. The schools mismanaged constantly calling me to come get him. My employer started treating me like i was exaggerating how serious his condition was. Then i found out i was pregnant. Before me and my husband to fully absorb that information i had a miscarriage at work(on xmas eve day). Had to leave to go to the doctor. I still worked my next scheduled shift and covered my boss's vacation. It wasn't good enough for them. My usefulness was compromised and finally just left. I'm still pretty bitter about it.
Kudos to this boss for helping this woman. I was laid off of my job in the middle of cancer treatment. Had worked there a few years, but we had recently had upper leadership changes and when my fmla and std was up, they let me go.
Rachal Pecoraro like
My husband is disabled due to his military service. Three weeks ago he had a heart attack. Because I missed work we are no longer going to be able to afford Christmas. Note: all his medical bills are covered by the government
My dad had a stroke and passed while my mother was on her death bed with two more weeks to live. I was in Vietnam for work. Director told me on the phone "Do you think you can do the next leg of the business trip to India before flying to your parents'?".
That last statement happens to me as well! I had to take extra time off because we had to first get her settled into hospice care 65+ miles away from home. So when I came home to gather some more clothes, the manager said I've taken too much time off and I was let go. All I said was, "Thanks! Now I can go to her funeral without worrying about this shitty job!" and walked out! It was a crappy coffee house job in the mall! They acted like I should be grateful to be working there! The coffee house and their local bean distribution center went belly up about a year later
My second pregnancy I was so violently ill the entire 9 months, even on medications to help. My bosses were amazing and so understanding. I missed a lot of work in those 9 months, but I was paid for all the days I missed and never once given a hard time over it. When i was at work i had to carry a bowl with me just in case O.o
We've all had the boss from hell. When I ran my own business I remembered what it was like. The kid who showed up a tad late because he had been out with friends the night before and headed straight to the bathroom got my offer of eggs over easy. The kind where the yolk is ruining amok. He always stayed to finish his work and was one of my best guys. So often, bosses are like the doctor who was never a patient. Or the art director who never did production art. A boss should never demand anyone do what he or she is unwilling or has never done. And listen. While doing boss stuff you lose sight of what employees can bring to the table. Show appreciation for those working hard. A big old box of donuts and coffee is a hood start.
Before my mom retired from being a teacher, a colleague was undergoing chemo and radiation for brain cancer. She was out of sick days and vacation days, and the district was going to fire her. My mom hadn't ever taken either in her 30 years. Back then, they were added to the next year. She 'donated' her days to her friend, as did others. Unfortunately, she didn't survive, but spent the rest of her 2 years without worrying about a job.
Happens in Canada too. My mom was fired via phone because she attended her aunt's funeral, at the funeral. She had told them days before too. they knew damn well where she was so it wasnt like she just didnt show up to work that day for no good reason.
This must be a very small company run by good people, which is hard to find. Most companies don't give a crap and will never tell or show their employees that they are valued and that their job is secure. Most will cut you if they can get away with it. They just spread the work to the other remaining employees. Then they report to their bosses that they just saved them money so they look good. That's why the actual workers lose their jobs during layoffs and not management. I spent my career in corporate. That's how they operate. It's soul crushing watching a good co-worker with a family to support pack up their stuff and then wonder if it's your turn next.
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My company didn't even offer sick days, and had me covering multiple jobs. I wad only excused from answering the phone when I literally couldn't speak. I got malicious pleasure in being the outbreak monkey, and my supervisor permanently lost his sense of taste and smell from one of the colds I dragged in. School age kids are little petri dishes and I literally couldn't afford to miss work...even on the day I had a tooth pulled.
Thank you Bernie!! X
I got accidental steroid poisoning and could barely move, never mind work and my boss was very understanding about it. My boss now is a very cool guy. My sister has epilepsy and can't drive, so the two nights she is supposed to be a delivery driver he lets someone drive her around. There are some bosses that are good and understanding people.
fake
It's nice. But why can't people enjoy their act of human decency? Why broadcast it? Takes away all the sincerity.
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Career or babies. Choose one. Condoms are cheap.
Some people want kids, but they need a career to pay and take care of the baby, asshole
Only in America. I am so glad I live in Belgium. But then again, we pay +50% of our income to taxes. And you now what, I have absolutely no problem with that. You know why? - no college debt for half your life - absence for medical reasons is always coverd (no loss of salary) - on top of that, you have (minimum) 20 days off, your choice when to take them (+ some additional, guaranteed off- days, like when a relative dies or your children are ill) - doctors' and hospital cost wouldn't bankrupt us - one of the best educational systems in the world - if you're fired, we have a strong social security safety net but the most surrealist political system;;; ;D
Hans my good sir.. this is heartbreaking for me .. I don't want to cry you a river of my problems but I'll tell you they run deeper than I ever thought be possible.. I'm ashamed of my country's greed and love of violence.. just yesterday we had another school shooting... I beg, wish dream of living such a life. In America we are Free.. Free to suffer , Free to owe the government 100k $ in debt at twenty years old for school ,, but cannot obtain a home loan for 10,20 or 30k . Our food is full of chemicals there are recalls of meat , fruits and vegetables seemingly monthly.. and the health, medical issues it all causes is too expensive to even get help with.. Hans it almost don't seem real what your saying.. this is my dream to live in Belgium
When I was a dumb Teenager in the 80s the USA was my "hero country" . Everything seem to be better than where I live. Today I thank god not to live in the US
In Norway too. Blessed to be born here. I do feel sad for Us citizens..
The US has gone from Democracy to Corpocracy. Corporations, big business, and the uberrich get the pleasure to decide and the common people, the Demos, get to do what they are told, say 'Yes, Sir' and follow orders. "In the free world you are living, in the free world you must stay" (Phil Ochs). I recently read that an "Oregon Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail -- for Collecting Rainwater on His Property". . . https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/oregon-man-sentenced-30-days-jail-collecting-rainwater-his-property . . . The land of the free??? PLEASE VOTE!!!
There are a lot of countries like Belgium. Just in my personal experience: France and Japan (though University is not free in Japan while it is in France) but there are more (almost all Europe for example). I don't know what are your options but you could find a job in one of those to get a visa and move there, if you can stand living far from your family and friends.
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I wish the U.S. would get on board with the rest of the world, but they would rather their citizens struggle than do what is right.
Keep the citizens poor and uneducated, and you can manipulate them however you want.
Yep, England here, we have a share of issues like anyone elsae but like you said, i can be ill and not be bankrupt, get 31 holiday days a year plus an additional 14 days of non-serious sickness pay if i need them, yes we pay tax and i'm happy to pay it so it means we can look after our vulnerable in society and if i ever need help i know it's there.
Ubelievably high prices for houses and questionable double-standard food aside, thank God I live in Czech Republic and have extremely benevolent employer.
Even in Poland is similar as in Belgium (although we have our own problems and rather shitty wages). 20-26 holiday days (depends on the years of work, studies count to it), additional days off for funerals, getting married (or when your child is getting married), for taking care of your children or other members of your family, etc. Sick days are paid 80%, unless this is maternity sick leave, then it's 100% plus there is one year of maternity leave after the child is born which you can partially share with the other parent. It is surprising for me how the sick leave can be limited - how you can do that? People can't predict how long and how often they might be sick, it's not logical...here, you can't fire someone who is on a sick leave or maternity leave/pregnant, it's forbidden by law and trying to do it ends in law suit which is for sure won by employee.
I have a secret most place only give 1 week vacation after you have worked for more than a year and after five or ten years you get two weeks. And insurance but like my husband we have to pay 7k and 12k dollars before the will pay the cost and that can be 12k a year .. nice huh... I'm my family I'm very sick and my son's have issues one has heart disease... 1 of my medication is $800. For 90 pills of Elmiron for my bladder.. my husband works sick .. we can't even afford to have his issues checked. Land of the Free.. ya right.. and women's rights here... Forgote
"Only in America", huh? The world is bigger than America and Belgium. Greetings from an Italo-Croatian in S. Korea. ♥ (While health care is way better in all these 3 countries compared to the USA, the employment system? Not so much....)
It's called being civilized... also the Healthcare is one of many western values usa hates because usa is fucking stupid
Here in Canada we're at about 35-40% and I don't mind cause I've had my fair share of free healthcare. Growing up I never had to worry about putting my parents in debt with my many hospitalizations. As an adult I have never worried about my surgeries or my children getting sick and not being able to get them the healthcare they've needed. I don't understand how a country can deny that a healthy population is a productive happy population.
I'm also born and bred in Belgium (Antwerp - the center of the world!) and I would not for the life of me want to live anywhere else. I have triggerfingers which means every so many years one of my fingers is operated on. I get to choose the day of the operation. Me! The surgeon actually asks me what day suits me best. And after the surgery I get a week sick leave, paid. Yes, I'm all for paying taxes.
I live in Denmark and I am soooo glad I escaped the US many years ago. I used to think I would like to live there again, but no more! Here we pay about 50% in taxes but then the cost of medical, and education is covered. And people don’t starve to death (unless they really want to!).
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You do realise income taxes are theft right? You have to pay taxes, for the privilege of working. Are you sh*tting me? I understand the 14% social security we pay. But paying because we work?!? That's BULLSH*T. Theft, plain and simple. And yes, I said we, I live in Flanders. All the other taxes we pay, apart from income taxes, should be plenty for governments to pay the bills...
Please troll in a more original manner.
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LIving in the Netherlands this is totally beyond anything I could imagine. I understand that companies aren't some kind of charitable organisation but ffs what is wrong with treating employees like they are actually human beings? None of this could happen in my country. Sick days? Yes we have them. You can stay sick for up to 730 days before the employer can fire you. Not allowed to attend a funeral? Nope. It's your legal right. Firing someone for being sick or recovering? No, impossible. Ok, we pay taxes but we all get more security and protection in return.
This is what boggles my mind. Here in North America, we pay taxes. And yet, some citizens (Usually Conservatives and Republicans) seem to think that it's perfectly fine to gut social programs, and only aid the rich, who barely pay any taxes at all. In this day and age, taxes are supposed to be paying for social programs that help everyone.
The US is the only country in the world where multi-billion companies and billionaires pay less taxes than a $20,000 income household. It's also the only country where people work 40 hours per week for Amazon and still have to rely on foodstamps to make ends meet. Foodstamps are paid for with taxmoney, yet Amazon didn't pay any taxes in 2018. Which means that your tax money is funding a billion dollar company and the owner who has a private capital of over $108 billion.
The American taxpayer is funding the so-called defense industry. You will find that countries with a better "people system" spend more on health and schools and less on the military. Why? "The US and Britain face no existential threat. So why do their wars go on?" https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/15/britain-and-us-wars-conflicts-middle-east
You're woefully uninformed if you think the wealthy "barely pay any taxes at all."
Dutchy here, my manager thought he was in the US and tried to fire me on the spot for not agreeing how I managed my team (I'm more of the loyal to my team to get them happy and working hard kinda person). That backfired very quickly for my employer. It really doesn't work like that, you have to make a case (or both agree of course, that's an option). Even if the law is becoming more lenient towards employers, they still need a very good reason and documentation of it to break open a contract. It's not just about taxes and social security, because you are of course required to do your job in exchange for your pay. It's mostly about making employers to be more loyal and steer away from a fearful workforce.
I rely on disability in the USA because I have active seizures. The income from disability isn't enough to live on. You have to choose do I want my medication or do I want food. Rent for places to live cost almost all of your income. I've talked to people who can't get disability and have to work while they have active seizures and they talk about being fired job after job due to having too many days off work or having seizures makes them unable to do their job and it scares other employees so in turn, creates the ability of other employees to do their job efficiently. Our health system is terrible. I am married so I can have a place to live and I have food, but medication costs, even under Medicare, are outrageous and create debt. This shouldn't happen
Wait... you mean treating employees like human beings and being kind and empathetic makes them more productive and willing to do more for your company? NO WAY
The fact that you even HAVE sick days that you can RUN OUT OF, is ridiculous. You're not a hero for giving her one extra day. In civilized countries you can be sick for however long you are sick (obviously it will be checked if it's a long time), not a limited amount of days.
The laws are not that bosses fault though. He stepped up and did the right thing within the confines of that law though.
They aren't laws they are company policies that are usually draconian.
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I worked for a pizza place briefly for a few years. When I started I did not have a car of my own, I was being shuttled to and from work by friends or even my parents. I even walked a few times (bout 5 miles give or take) I was trying to save up enough for down payment and everything that comes with it. My boss wrote me a check for $500 and referred me to a dealership he had a buddy at. Dude told me to just slowly pay him back with my pay checks. I was about half way through paying him back before he told me happy birthday you don't owe me anything more and offered me a higher up position. I will for ever be grateful to him. Probably the best boss I've had!!!
And you were probably one of his best employees ever.
Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not lol but he did not want to let me go and has since asked a few times if I'd come back to work for him. If he offered health benefits and raised my wage to what I currently make I would in a heart beat. Was a good person to work for.
That is awesome!
Your employees carry the weight of YOUR paycheck on their shouldefs, always remember that when dealing with them
They do get something in return. It's a business deal, but it's a deal between a larger organization and an individual that is way more vulnerable than the company they work for. Employers need to remember that people actually bring more than their daily output. They build up invaluable knowledge that is undocumented. When long time (which can be just a few years nowadays) employees leave a company, they take a whole lot of taken for granted knowledge with them. Even if not more so today.
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You suck bill. You have no heart. You think you own someone because you pay them. You're garbage. Let the down votes come. You suck bill. It's people like you that make most of the working people suffer. You think because you pay us, you own us. F**k you.
I'm not sure you understand what Bill's trying to say Ben.
Ben- what sucks is your reading comprehension. Bill is saying that Managers/Owners should be aware that the employees work allows THEM i.e. the Managers/Owners and that M/O's should remember that and treat employees well. Your post makes you sound like just another "poor me- I can't get ahead because I'm being exploited" losers who take no responsibility for themselves. Are some employers complete a**holes that take advantage of workers who are trying to put food on the table? Yes-absolutely. But that isn't universally true and the USA is still the best place on the planet to better yourself. Three years ago I was let go by a corporate nightmare of an employer because "my position had been eliminated"- TWO DAYS AFTER I FINISHED RADIATION TREATMENT and seven months into my cancer battle. I grew up dirt poor and eating government cheese. I worked while the people I grew up with were hitting the bars and put myself through college working (and yes I have student loan debt)
More to Ben- When I was let go I had to take a job making roughly $12K less than I had been. I stuck it out, accomplished things that reflected well on my management skills and was recently offered a position with a great company where I'll make 6 figures for the first time in my life. Yes, life is hard but you'd get a lot farther and be a lot happier if you did something to move yourself forward instead of throwing a hissy fit at some poor guy whose comment YOU misread.
Apparently you have no clue how to comprehend whatm other people write because what he wrote is actually something positive towards employees. It's pathetic that you have hit out at this guy because you're too stupid to understand what you're reading.
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You need a great boss within the US, but in human-friendly governed countries in Europe like Germany this is completely normal and you don't have to beg for it. I don't get how people still think, life in US would be so great after all.
USA here, as will be come abundantly clear. Worked at a hospital and had a kidney stone attack. 4 hours in the Emergency Room and a visit to the CAT scan. AFTER insurance the bill for me to pay was USD $34,000.00. An entire years pay for me at that time. My boss went to the CFO of the hospital and they simply forgave the debt. The hospital routinely forgave debts for the uninsured. That hospital went bankrupt and closed its doors in September of this year after serving the city for over 140 years.
That is such a terrible shame. I do wish things were better for people in the US health-wise.
Every time I see stories like this, that come down to the awful labor laws in the US, I wonder why there hasn't been an uprising by worker's yet. What happened in the US when European workers demanded better rights and got them? Why hasn't this happened over there?
They've got us over a barrel. Corporations have paid for the politicians and people are too poor to miss a day of work, let alone go on strike. We have no means of leverage and approximately 40% are dumb enough to believe whatever line corporations feed them. They actually believe these giant businesses will go under if labor laws are honored or minimum wage is raised.
The answer is called "gerrymandering" (a practice intended to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries) plus that there are far too many people who do not register to vote. PLEASE VOTE!!! Take democracy back from the corporations!
My husband went to the emergency room while I was at work at my old job. My supervisor had to smuggle me out of the building so management wouldn't see me leaving. Another woman's mother had a stroke and they wouldn't let her leave. People have had heart attacks and gone into labor at their desks and gotten penalized for going to the hospital. They wanted us to die for them. Fuck you, Vertex Outsourcing.
good bosses makes good employees! it's not that hard to understand that
I know a company that paid 2 out of 6 doses of a blood cancer treatment (each around 8500 USD) for their employee. The girl lived and even has a baby now :)
What amazes me is how employer's have attendance policies written into their employee handbooks that state quite clearly that they "may" enforce. In other words. An employer can choose NOT to enforce those rules but oftentimes does. Another thing that amazes me is that they bemoan the cost of hiring and training another employee for that position rather than give a little help to the employee trying to make a go of it already there. This employer has done the right thing in so many ways.
I don't believe the story. Employees are not people. They don't have a life outside of work. Employees never get sick. They have no need for weekends, or time to them selves. Employees have no need for hobbies or activities out side of their job. Sick children spouses, or parents are not a thing. Employees are lucky we employ them, and they want paid time off for,not working. Signed, corporate America
Too many of the raised on the motto, "Greed is good." They think if everyone is greedy, it will all work out. Which is why the world is the way it is now.
'Which is why the USA is the way it is now.' See, I fixed it for you. Here is a wonderful example of a different approach: “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.” (said by the King of Bhutan) https://ophi.org.uk/policy/national-policy/gross-national-happiness-index/
This is one of the biggest reasons I want out of the US. I seriously struggle to understand why people from other countries still want to immigrate here. Go someplace that will treat you like the human being you are. America SUCKS
You're employees can make or break your company. Too many bosses don't understand this. No matter how micromanaging you are, they can find a way to screw you over if you make them miserable enough.
I can't get Christmas Day off to spend with my dying father. Breaks my heart.
nononono! IDC what they say, that job is /not/ good for you. If they won't let you off for CHRISTMAS to spend time w your dying father, you need to figure out how to quit. Please, quit if you can.
My husband job would not let him take time off when our 5 week old twin had to have emergency heart surgery ... I couldn't take the other twin into ICU cardiac unit ... I had to give my newborn to someone I really didn't want to because my Target is a miserable company. My son lived and him and his twin are amazing kids.. but making me do it all without him destroyed me. I had very hard time handing my tiny baby to nurses not knowing if I'm going to see him again... I needed him more than I ever.. he also was a complete mess having to work . I wanted my other baby close, still b
Uhhg typo proof I need much more coffee... It's not My Target hahah just Target that retail store.. the one that can afford a manager being with his dying son and very unstable wife, could of kept my other twin boys from having to stay with a monster of a trash heap, (brother's ex wife who tried to have them taken from me when I went through chemotherapy) ( told people I was on drugs and wasn't on chemo..) trash human like I said.
Damn nasty experiences you have had to go through. I sincerely hope that you have left ALL health problems behind and that your husband no longer works for the same employer. My very best wishes to you. Enjoy your precious twins! Kids grow up so fast.
This is why we need to put in place a Universal Basic Income so missing one day of work does not cause major stress and worry. Please look into Andew Yang a dem nominee for president. He has a lot of really great ideas how we could improve the lives of the average hard working people in America. Also its not a pie in the sky idea, we currently let big tech companies make billions in our economy without paying taxes. Andrew Yang would tax them and use that money to pay for the UBI of 1,000 per month to people over the age of 18. Free and clear with no gov program telling you what you can do with it.
Great ideas, but they would have to pass through Congress, which is a group of mostly elderly conservative white men who have gotten quite comfortable in their offices while building their own millions. I am ashamed of my country's actions over the last 3 years. I didn't think that the people we trusted to govern responsibly would keep looking the other way while our "leaders" commit crimes that would have gotten them thrown in jail in the past. It's going to take a long time to repair the damage.
This was a beautiful story, I was working retail at Macy's and my aunt died of cancer , I told them I needed to go. They said, you go your fired. I quit. Fuck Macy's !
I quit my last job because they treated us all like slaves. I thought, I have too much education, experience and self respect to stay at a job like that, so I left. What a blessing because within a week I got hired at my current company. Game room, nap room, my own office, bonuses, yearly salary increased, 3 weeks vacation, and you get to be a human. And I get respect. :-)
Are they hiring?
As a former HR manager, you have to look at the circumstances of the individual and those genuine cases help them as much as possible. I set up trusts with my wonderful employees to help staff with cancer to assist with their medical bills, and yes, i contributed too!
good boss = good employee
Physician here. I get sick days but can't use them because there is never anyone to cover for me and abandoning patients by taking care of myself is an absolute no go. I've been to work fainting and vomiting.
Sadly, this isn't a positive story at all. It's a sign of how fundamentally broken our system is, that common-sense acts of kindness and basic humanity are the exception and not the rule. Every day that passes, it seems more and more that America is simply too broken to fix.
My son is having quite the opposite problem at his job. He has the nicest boss in the world, maybe too nice and people are taking advantage. It's a small office iof 8 employees so he treats everyone to a nice lunch every Friday, allows unlimited days off and everyone is on the honor system. My son says one co-worker has taken 35 days off in the past year and is about to leave for a 2 week honeymoon. Most of the days off were for wedding planning. Not sick days. Every time one employee is out everyone else is left to pick up the slack. She doesn't seem to care. Apparently the boss is uncomfortable speaking to her about, says those parts of being a company owner are not in him. I told my son to suggest they nominate or hire one employee to be manager to handle these issues. They are thinking on it. There's always one, isn't there?
Wilf, we don't have employment contracts like the ones that I hear about from a lot of Europeans. When we are hired at a particular company, we get a formal letter that notes our pay and benefits. A lot of companies, especially those that hire low wage workers, don't even give a letter. It's just, "Your first day is Tuesday, see John Doe to get your uniform."
So what? I took 35 days off last year too- including a couple of 2 week long holidays (one in the summer, one over the Christmas period). All part of my entitlement as stated in my employment contract (I started out on 28 days leave, I get 35 days now because I have been with the company 5 years). Needless to say I don't live in the USA....
Last January; I had to work with a fever of 105, I should have been sleeping, but my "boss" didn't want to call in the other guy, because it would be too difficult for him.. So instead she tries to work me to death.. I put up with it, because WHEN they try to fire me, or permanently let me go, I have some leverage. There are new owners of my work, and I doubt they know, what I know..
that is crazy, we get 32 days sick over 3 years 15 days anual leave a year and 3 dyas family responsibility leave a year and that is just what our goverment demands that u have to give, employees are very protected in south africa, thats one of the main reasons america is not for me
And thats why I left America for Germany.
I did too! New York City for Berlin. Smartest thing I ever did. The government actually works here and people have rights.
America is so messed up! Why is giving people basic workplace rights in the gift of individual "compassionate" managers? Why is it not the law? In the UK you get statutory sick pay for up to 28 weeks. Almost all companies do better than the basic entitlement of the equivalent of about $150 a week- for example my employment contract gives me full pay for 6 months within a 12 month period, and half-pay for any more months up to a total of 12 months.
For a European this sounds so unreal. It seem that the US is stuck in the medieval period and the citizens are the new serfs.
We are 100% serfs.
So many bosses literally stink! This guy however, is a gem! Kudos to you, sir!!
Apparently basic humanity to **others** is an alien concept for many managers (from experiences I've had and seen/heard from others)... I've heard horrific things I should never hear from anyone: "Well, yeah, I get it that she found her son's body hanging from the suicide, but really... c'mon... isn't she over it yet?" - it had been 7 days, "Since your attendance was poor ... because you know, you got approval from the government to take compassionate leave to care for your father until he passed away (3 weeks)... yeah, we can't possibly justify a raise. You're lucky we're keeping you!" - etc. But when it's THEIR turn... oh yeah... 6-8 months later "I need more time, have you no heart?"
Aww, that just warms the cockles of my heart! ONE employer does what any decent human being would have done and everyone gets all warm and fuzzy. Of course he can't help mentioning how it helped his bottom line.
'What happened to employee loyalty?' the bosses whine, 'employees nowadays couldn't give a crap about the company!' They never seem to consider that it's all their fault that things are the way they are. You can't expect an employee to respect their job, unless that job is respectful of them. Can we start treating employees as human beings again? A little kindness goes a long way.
"...today’s real average wage (that is, the wage after accounting for inflation) has about the same purchasing power it did 40 years ago. And what wage gains there have been have mostly flowed to the highest-paid tier of workers." "...among people in the top tenth of the distribution, real wages have risen a cumulative 15.7%..." https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us-workers-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/
This is also the reason why the number of people in employment who are homeless is going up.
My spouse worked near enough our apartment he came home at lunch one day and said he felt very ill. We went to ER at once. This is over 20 years ago, so his beeper went off 23 times as he was in the ER, and continued *ever after I called them to tell them he had to have emergency surgery*. They then said he'd be fired if he wasn't back to work in 10 days. My dad was a union steward. I called the right numbers, and his employer ended up granting 6 weeks' recovery, paid, or face a lawsuit. B/c, in the US, that's what it takes to get human rights like ... time off to recover from major surgery!
Ironically, some employers cannot see anything above and beyond the bottom line ...
Kindness and understanding, go a very long way!
Once American companies get a clue, and treat their employees kindly with compassion, (decent wages & benefits,) and understanding- they will be rewarded tenfold. In employee loyalty. It costs a lot of money to have a 'revolving door' mentality in regard to hiring. Training costs money, and time. If you feel your company doesn't care about you, then you're not going to do your best at work. It's that simple.
Wow, I'm so glad I live in Sweden and don't have to worry about running out of sick days. If I'm not well I call work and stay at home as long as I need. I have 34 days per year paid vacation . Free school with free hot lunches every day. Free colleges, free universities. Childcare. 480 days paid leave for parents to stay home with your kid after it's born. Paid leave to stay home with your kid if it's sick. You don't pay for ambulances, it doesn't matter if its a helicopter or a car, it's free if you're in medical need. If you need medical care you pay €20 to see a doctor, get a surgery, chemo or whatever. Best of all, we don't have Trump.
I am in Australia and my last Boss who was a friend, well at least I thought so. Dangled the sales carrot and never once paid up. He did not pay my super for 3 years, yet still hired more staff and started a second business. And when I finally left he blamed me for the fact his business went under.
Why people continuing working at garbage places ("I was told I'd be fired for going to my mom's funeral," "find someone else to take your wife to the emergency room") is confusing me. Life's too short to work at a job like that and give so much time to be there. Screw that. Polish off your resume and get to finding a better place.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer a week after starting a new job. You can only imagine how stressed out I was. I had an 8 month old baby and we just moved to a new city. I finally approached my new boss and gave him the news that I'd most likely have to have surgery and treatment, etc. And he (the angel that he is) told me not to worry about a thing. And here I am with the same company 3 years later. He not only took care of me and my family as if we were his family. But he has really become a true friend.
Not my bosses (who were in it for how far they could get and how much money they could make), but my coworkers. I had to take time off because I ended up in the hospital with Heart Failure. I had to be off work for about 5 months, I rant out of PTO (Paid Time Off) and I wasn't eligible for Disability yet. My coworkers gave me some of the hours they had of their own PTO, to let me continue being paid. Two of the people who did it, I thought did not like me very much. Maybe they didn't, but I treated them with a lot more respect after I got better.
the reason why companies in America have a standard allotment of sick days is because a lot of Americans are lazy and don't want to come to work. they would use the' I'm sick' and 2 hours later they're out and about. in America they have what is called family medical leave act. its used in situations involving the health of family or themselves. it gets constantly abused.
A true act of kindness needs no audience.
WHAT A TRULY AWESOME GUY WHOSE WORDS ARE SO VERY TRUE!
The original post about the employee sobbing at her desk because she was out of leave echoes my own experience 29 years ago. I have a digestive disorder called gastroparesis, it means "paralyzed stomach". This nasty disease won't let me eat much solid food and flares up so much for so long that I had to go on disability. On that particular day, I hadn't been as nauseated in the morning like I usually was, so I had a 6-inch sub for lunch. Big mistake. When I was done shouting groceries, I went back to my desk, sat down, put my head down on my desk, and whimpered at the remaining nausea. My boss looked at me and told me that I should go home. But I was out of leave. That boss worked with me until my disease went into a sort of remission and was able to resume a normal life except for occasional flare ups. That boss later told me that he learned a lot from my disease on how to be compassionate, support the sick employee, and still get the work done. He was a really good boss.
This is Undercover Boss level, though. I'd be more impressed if he changed the company's policy.
I'm so happy I don't work in the US.
I had a boss who got upset because I asked for a half day off for my best friend's funeral (he passed away too young :( ) The boss was like "But you already took a day off for a funeral last month!" It was my other friend's mother's funeral that time.
Soon after we were married, my husband had to take his dad to the hospital, as he was having a massive heart attack. He worked as an assistant mgr. in a national bookstore chain. He was also an EMT. He called ahead to the manager that he would be a bit late, because of his father's heart attack, and when he got to work...about a half an hour late, the manager was there, waiting for him to sign the write-up she had prepared for being late to the job, and continued to berate him!! Years later, with another company, this time a book wholesaler for airports, he broke his collar bone, and called his boss (an elderly woman who was incapable of doing much physical work that this job required) to tell her that he was unable to go to work the next day because of his snapped collar bone. She called him back within 5 minutes, to yell at him that he needed to be "part of the solution" to get the job done on time!!! The solution being that I did his job with him...for no pay!!!
My problem with this is that the Family Medical Leave Act prevents employers from firing employees when it becomes necessary for the employee to take time off for sick immediate family or for their own medical procedures. If an employer threatens to fire you, get it on tape or get them to write down what disciplinary action will be taken if you take time off for medical leave. If you get fired...you can take them to court and sue them for wrongful termination. And, unlike criminal cases, you can submit recordings of conversations, even if the other person is unaware that they were being recorded at the time.
Hmm. My husband has worked at his company for 20 years. He's had one raise in all that time. He's afraid to leave because he's nearing 60 and doesn't think he will find another job to last the decade until he can think of retiring.
Im working under nice boss and im never pick up days off, not because days off limitation but i have no idea what to do in my days off.
I knew a person who worked for 20 yrs at our country national airline company but was among the 2nd batch retrenched. The 1st batch got garden leave and was prohibited to enter the company premises; not even to fetch their belongings at their desk. My acquaintance used to stay back until 12am sometimes had to ask family members to sent clothes for next morning office attaire because was very committed to the job. Although the national news at our country quoting the company's rep and our nation PM said that the decision had to made in such a way because of the brutality of airline competition and the price of oil had risen tremendously at that time, one would always wonder if it has anything to do to the fate of 2 of their aircraft 2 years prior. Especially when the PM at that time announce an act that blatantly protected the company for 5 years from any legal action from any parties (individual(s), company(ies) and even from their former staffs. Can you guess which national airline I'm refering to?