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Today, a coworker called to say she couldn't make it for her shift and since none of the bosses were around, I was the one who answered the phone (it sits next to our registers and is also used to customer queries) so I could pass the message on.

Apparently, that was the entirely wrong thing to do because two of them later gave me the worst attitude about it. They were still speaking about it behind my back (another coworker confirmed) and kept bringing it up again even a few hours later. One also tried saying "if she can't make it in tomorrow either, you can cover her shift since you decided to answer the phone."

I'm not sure what the problem is considering other regular staff members who are no different from myself have taken people's sick calls before and there was never an issue there. They're also fully capable of calling her back if they had any further questions (they were asking for very specific details as to why she couldn't make it which were bordering on invasive), but they were insistent in making me feel like I had done something wrong for trying to help. If the call had gone unanswered, they likely would've complained about that too.

Am I crazy?

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  • You say "none of the bosses were around", were they on the premises and just not around to pick up the phone? If that is the case then it my have been better to put them on hold and get a manager to talk to them. If they were not on premises at all and there are no procedures for contacting a manager that isn't working, I can't see how they would react like that.
    – Jason Goemaat
    Commented Oct 20 at 18:44
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    Do you mean you answered her dedicated extension? or just a shared customer-support line that other people answer? and when one person is sick who is supposed to answer?)
    – smci
    Commented Oct 21 at 2:54
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    @njzk2 I suspect the answer to that one is "discourage the caller from using sick leave".
    – G_B
    Commented Oct 21 at 20:55
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    @G_B why would anyone want to do that? Even if they manage to, all they get is a sick worker for a full salary
    – njzk2
    Commented Oct 21 at 21:02
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    @njzk2 you'd be surprised. Many companies I have worked for do everything they can to prevent people calling in sick, and when they do call in sick do their utmost to bully them into returning to work before they're well again.
    – jwenting
    Commented Oct 22 at 7:51

5 Answers 5

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I am presuming you work in either retail or hospitality and that the management you speak of are barely out of their teenage years

I could be wrong, but I did my time as a pizza delivery driver many moons ago where the managers were paid barely a little more than the regular staff, but had a notable increase in responsibilities.

Some responsibilities that they did not like — such as when Staff no-showed and there was no cover — it was their obligation to cover.

When certain staff members (who were notorious for being flaky workers) would call in, the managers would pressure them to come in, and do just about everything they could to make sure they did not have to cover their shift.

And this is where I think they are angry. I am willing to bet that the company policy for calling in sick is to phone in to report. Probably does not require them to actually speak to a manager.

So, you being bright-eyed and bushy tailed, answered the phone, took the message, passed the message on, and now they have to work.

To be clear at this point, you did nothing wrong if my suspicions are correct. Your managers are the problem

The way to handle this?

Asking for them to document in writing how you should have handled it so that you know for next time

Hey boss, so that I can better help next time someone calls in sick, you asked me a number of questions that I did not have the answer to as person didn't tell me. Can you put the policy and procedure of what to do when someone calls in sick, in writing, so I can reference it next time?

If the questions they are asking are invasive (and I suspect they are) they will absolutely not want to put it in writing, because what they are asking is probably illegal, you can have further fun with this by emailing them and saying as per our conversation, you would like clarity on what is expected.

That way, if it happens again, if you have no written process or procedure and they give you a hard time, you go to HR that you asked for a process, didn't get one and are getting in trouble again (bonus points for mentioning hostile work environment, HR loves a lawsuit). If you do have a written process, you make sure you do everything in the process and if they grill you about it, as above, you go to HR, indicate you followed the process but still got yelled at.

Back yourself, get everything in writing - it is the only way to deal with people like this - and once you learn the rules of the game - it is most fun to play.

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    Technically you are right. This answer will lead into escalation and hurts the relationship to your manager. Might lead to get you even fired eventually.
    – usr1234567
    Commented Oct 20 at 10:08
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    @usr1234567 asking for a written procedure is hardly "escalation", as long as it's approached in a "just that facts, ma'am" way. Yes, it puts management in a bind as they have to document what they want the employee to do, but that's a good thing, not a bad thing.
    – DaveG
    Commented Oct 20 at 12:39
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    Fantastic answer, +1, but I have to agree with @usr1234567. If your managers are "barely out of their teenage years", then they will behave that way. The young managers will likely consider "put it in writing" to be an escalation, and could make OP's job much worse moving forward.
    – Lindsey D
    Commented Oct 20 at 22:32
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    @LindseyD - Yep - then you raise it to HR as a hostile work environment and then the Young Managers get sanctioned or if there is no HR, you raise a grievance to a Tribunal or labour board or equivalent and get a nice healthy payout. Bullies dont stop if you let them continue without repucussions.
    – TheDemonLord
    Commented Oct 20 at 23:21
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    "Fun to play" – I like your style. However, if the managers are indeed barely out of their teenage years, then this answer will lead to escalation, or at least, that's probably what the managers feel like. But on the other hand, if the managers are barely out of their teenage years, then doing nothing will eventually hurt you. O well, this is more or less what TheDemonLord already said: "Bullies dont stop if you let them continue without repucussions."
    – MC Emperor
    Commented Oct 21 at 7:52
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Ask the manager whether they want you to answer the phone at all, and if so what you are supposed to do if someone calls in sick. Then follow their stated policy.

If you don't trust them, suggest they put the policy on paper and hang it near the phone "so others don't make the same mistake." That way you have it in writing.

Then forget it. They probably will.

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    I'd say, trust or not, get it in writing. Either the official company policy or the unofficial manager policy.
    – WernerCD
    Commented Oct 21 at 2:26
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You haven't done anything wrong except working for the wrong people. The comment "if she can't make it in tomorrow either, you can cover her shift since you decided to answer the phone." is colloquially known as a "s**t test". OK, what does that mean? In your situation, it means that the manager who made the comment is testing your internal fortitude. As such:

  • Manager makes the comment. I can't make any assumptions, but the manager might know something about your background (such as you really needing to have this job). Knowing this, such a comment was made to "push your buttons"
  • There is the chance that you overhear the comment, panic because your buttons have indeed been pushed, and with this having occurred you quickly volunteer to take over the absent person's shift if necessary
  • This has both short and long term effects. In the short run, the manager gets out of covering the absent person's shift. In the long run, you have just identified yourself as a person that the managers can bully.

In short, you are working for managers that are manipulative! There will be times like this where you will encounter situations like this, and the best course of action is to do exactly what you've done. Vent among others who are safe for a sanity check, but when you get back to work, carry on as if nothing ever happened. Play dumb, and don't react to manipulative behavior.

Best of luck!

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I disagree with some of the other answers.

You simply change nothing, and continue to operate as normal.

A manager/supervisor "giving you attitude" doesn't really mean you did anything wrong. Without anything more concrete from them, you should continue to operate as you have.

Don't stick your head above the parapet. They are annoyed at your co-worker, don't become the focus of their annoyance.

It's easy to say "Go to HR! Ask for written documentation! Complain to an employment tribunal!" Sounds to me you are in a low-paying job, probably casual, probably at-risk employment. I'm guessing you don't have the privilege of strong worker protection, either from the company, or other employees making your life difficult.

So my advice is to just keep your head down.

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    I'd disagree with this - even in the spirit of keeping your head below the parapet, it's at least worth getting them to tell you they don't actually want you to answer the phone if no one else is around so you don't have to put up with this attitude in the future - then if you get in trouble for leaving the phone ringing in the future, at least you'll be able to say "Alice told me I shouldn't answer it".
    – komodosp
    Commented Oct 22 at 9:11
  • OP seems to already be the focus of their annoyance. Continuing to do what they have done hardly seems the play if you really think that they should stay off the radar at all costs.
    – Matthew Read
    Commented Oct 22 at 18:04
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If you want to stay employed, do not escalate this further! I think the analysis in TheDemonLord's answer is right, the manager need to find replacement for an unreliable worker and might end doing the shift himself.

In future, when someone calls in sick, tell them you will pass the message along and insist they need to call your/their manager, too. Be aware, this might hurt your relationship to your coworkers. This is the price for having an unreasonable (or just underpaid and overstrained) manager.

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    So, obviously I disagree, but I want to highlight why: letting bad managers get away with abuses of power is never good. And taking your anger out on an employee for doing their job and you having to do yours is an abuse of power. Holding them to account forces them to either be better or gives you the means take action against them.
    – TheDemonLord
    Commented Oct 20 at 17:45
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    So, suppose they ring in and tell you they're really ill and are going to the doctor and won't be able to call back. You don't pass on the message and they're holed up in hospital for a month with Sepsis on a ventilator and when they get out they find they got fired for not calling in, what are you going to do after you didn't pass the message on?
    – user160463
    Commented Oct 20 at 19:35
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    "letting bad managers get away with abuses of power is never good" If it helps you retain a shitty low paying job, then yes, it can be good. We don't live in a perfect world where there is justice, sometimes it pays to be pragmatic.
    – Gregory Currie
    Commented Oct 20 at 21:23
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    @mxyzplk: One problem with that statement is that, based on how management is responding currently, the OP may already be being put on the path to be out of a job because of management being angry, even if they did nothing wrong as other non-managers have taken calls before. TheDemonLord's answer works towards preparing for that possibility by having documentation, in writing, that can help the OP, even if they are out of a job, with a possibility to sue over the way the termination could happen.
    – Alexander The 1st
    Commented Oct 21 at 3:11
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    Depending on jurisdiction this answer might set you up for a warning and constructive dismissal even in countries with worker protection. In many jurisdictions, it is legally enough to inform the employer, which is done by calling the company number. The information has reached the informational sphere of the company. Not reporting it internally may be a severe breach of your own duties and put your job in danger. Do not follow this answer blindly without understanding whats going on here. Get the company policy on how to handle sick calls in writing.
    – Polygnome
    Commented Oct 21 at 8:47

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