Employee Asked To Join Work Meeting On Day Of Emergency Surgery, Viral Reddit Post Sparks Debate

A US employee's supposed "dream job" turned into a nightmare when their boss demanded they work immediately after undergoing emergency surgery. The employee, an independent contractor, shared their story of feeling miserable and stuck in a toxic environment on Reddit, sparking a viral discussion.

For a US employee, what was meant to be a "dream job"—which supposedly featured working closely with celebrities and famous people—turned into the worst nightmare imaginable! The irate worker said that their supervisor forced them to work on a day off that was taken for surgery and vented about the whole incident on Reddit! The employee is a "independent contractor," according to the post, yet the management frequently imposes a demanding work schedule on them.

The management allegedly requested the worker to work the very next day in addition to attending a meeting on the day of the procedure. “Haven’t taken a day off in a year. I needed emergency surgery, and my boss asked me to work right after (day off).” the post read.

“For context, I got a job last year in a ‘dream’ industry that is highly underpaid and demanding to begin with. However, I have 2 other stints on my resume under or around 2 years. One because of my spouses job relocating us, the other because I got cancer. I was desperate and I have decided to just make this one work for as long as possible,” the post read.

Recalling the issue, the employee claimed that they are now feeling “stuck and miserable.”

“I feel stuck. And miserable. And like I am spending so much time bending over backwards for abusive behavior just so I can be respected on my resume. Do I push through for another year?” the post concluded.

A Look At Viral Reddit Post

The post was shared on Reddit, by the handle ‘Individual_Star_2053’. The post was shared 2 days ago and pulled more than 284K from people.

Social Media Reactions

Netizens started responding as soon as the social media post got popular. While others recommended filing a lawsuit, the majority thought the message was "triggering" and encouraged the worker to quit.

“If your boss dictates when and how you do your work, you’re not an independent contractor. He is misclassifying you when you should be an employee and you can open a case against him,” a user said. “You can make more doing less at Target or at Chic Fila. You’re being taken advantage of,” added another person.

“I still think the Board of Labor might need to be notified. Your health is not worth this job. I'd quit.. after I notified the Board of Labor,” added another.