Do You Think Some Employers Are Less Than Human?
By someonesmom
@someonesmom (5761)
Canada
October 16, 2008 12:19pm CST
My daughter does, and I tend to agree with her.
My seventeen year old daughter has worked for a fast food chain, for almost a year and a half. I'm withholding the name of this chain, for reasons that will become obvious. I realize some here already know where she works, but the myLot community at large, does not. A couple of weeks ago, she was working a shift with a fellow employee, who's the same age as she is. This young girl became very ill while on duty, vomiting approximately eight times. She was deathly pale, and could hardly stand up, as witnessed by my daughter.
The ill employee went to her manager, and put in a request to go home. The request was turned down, and she was told she had to finish her shift. This girl was so ill, that she was nearly in tears, and still trying to serve customers.
My daughter was so angry that she was shaking, and she 'almost' said something to this 'boss' about the inhumane treatment of an employee. If my daughter had spoken up, she wouldn't have used my words here, and would likely have been fired.
This 'manager' finally allowed the girl to leave, after she herself witnessed her employee throwing up in a garbage can. She was too ill to make the washroom that time.
My daughter and this girl were making salads, and serving customers. My daughter felt it was a health code violation, as well as the horrendous treatment of her fellow employee.
This girl no longer works there (of her own choice). My daughter is also currently seeking a new part time job (and not in fast food).
Should this manager have been reported to head office?
Should this young girl have been allowed to leave, as soon as possible?
Do you think this is a health code violation?
Would you eat at this fast food chain again, knowing this?
Do you have a horror story of your own to share, about a workplace?
Please feel free to answer any (or all) of the above.
I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts on this.
9 people like this
23 responses
@4mymak (1793)
• Malaysia
17 Oct 08
howdy,
if your daughter's friend was already feeling ill before she started her shift, i dont think she should have gone to work at all...
our normal practice here (in my country) - we would call the supervisor and inform that we are ill, and at the same time go to the clinic/hospital to seek medication + get a doctor's note to verify that we are not fit to work that day/shift. If we have the doctor's note.. we are entitled for medical-leave, and not treated as absent from work.
i dont know how it works in your country, but here it is the normal practice - both the employer + employee knows about this.. so normally there is no dispute about it.
maybe it would be good to get a clarification on the proper procedures from the employer.
we do have 'difficult' supervisors here, also... but if the case is genuine.. we normally report it to the managament, and normally there will be an inquiry to find out what truly happened.. and most of the times it was just 'miscommunication' or misunderstanding of the procedures from either party...
anyways.. i do hope your daughter finds a better part-time job.. or at least a better supervisor... 
3 people like this
@rsa101 (38126)
• Philippines
17 Oct 08
Yeah I guess its not only health code violation but human rights violations as well. You could not enforce a sick employee for continuing her job especially if the person is showing that she is really sick. I think you should have sued that employer for treating her like that.
2 people like this
@uath13 (8192)
• United States
16 Oct 08
I'll answer your questions in order.
1. The manager probably wouldn't have even gotten a slap on the wrist. It should be reported though. If there are enough bad reports coporate might take notice.
2. Definently.... Not only is it a health risk but could drive off potential customers.
3. Not sure. It's a possibility.
4. Probably not at that particular one.
5. Yes but it's too intailed for a quick afternoons writing & could cause problems so I'll plead the 5th.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Oct 08
Wow...what a jerk your daughter's employer was ..I bet if it were her the employer that was sick, she be racing home lickety split. How horrible to be forced to stay when so ill....too bad your daughter's co-worker instead of throwing up again in the garbage didn't throw up on the employer's feet or something...LOL
Yes, this indifference of how ill the woman was should have been reported. And yes, no doubt it was a health violation...I mean gross, would YOU want to eat in a place where a worker was throwing their guts up..NO WAY
I'm glad too, that your daughter is looking for different work now as well.
2 people like this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
16 Oct 08
I think this girl should have been told to go home immediately. The fact that she was sick and yet, made to work could have caused many more people to become ill, if it didn't in fact do just that. If I were that gil, I would have left anyhow, and then reported this manager to someone higher up. It sounds to me like this person just didn't want to have to step up and fill in for the ill girl.
I think that many people get on a power trip once they are placed in a managemet position and forget how it feels to be and the receiving end of that sort of unfair treatment.
2 people like this
@JUNGLE (1157)
• South Africa
17 Oct 08
If the manager had been reported to head office,I very much doubt that anything would been done about it.Yes the girl should have been sent home.This is definitely a health issue.I certainly will not eat at any of this business's branches,knowing this.I do know quite a few such horror stories,but to keep your head cool and your food down I will not relate any of them.I pray that your daughter and that poor girl both get lovely jobs soon in wonderful establishments for splendid salaries.Amen!!!!
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
18 Oct 08
I feel that is one of the reasons we get so much food poisoning when they make employees work when they are sick. What if she had something really, really contagious, have we not learned from Typhoid Mary?
I think the manager should be tuned into the main office. I think for your daughters self preventions she would not say anything until she quits then say why she quit on her exit interview.
1 person likes this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
17 Oct 08
This is just beyond awful.....The one that should be fired is the Manager...NO WAY would she have been allowed to stay if I was manager...It is too bad that your daughter could not tell the manager how she felt, without the fear of getting fired....This is just horrible....and NO I wouldn't eat there ever and I would make sure others knew what was going on....
I hope your daughter finds another job...and a better manager.....
The younger ones tend not to say anything for fear of being fired but at my age...I would have laid it on the line and reported her ASAP...I could never work with someone like that.....YUK....and I would call the Board of Health.....
Best of luck to your daughter.....*smiles*
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
17 Oct 08
I have worked for bosses like this. They really only care about their own purses and have no compassion for their employees. If I go into a workplace and witness a person of authority berating publicly an employee, then I would report him/her to the owner. If It is the owner that his treating the help like that, then I just avoid giving them my business.
1 person likes this
@CanadaGal (4304)
• Canada
23 Oct 08
Oh, there's definitely got to be a violation of health code issues there, for sure! Yes, the manager should have let the girl leave, and I do hope that they will be reported to H.O. And if I knew of such an issue at a particular eating establishment, I would think twice about eating there again.
As for your original question about some employers being less than human... you betcha! We've all had them as bosses or teachers or classmates or co-workers. They are likely part of the 4% of people in this world who are sociopaths. A sociopath is someone who is unable to understand emotion, and most certainly cannot empathize, because they don't know how to "feel" like the rest of us do. I read up on them in a book called "The sociopath next door" by "Martha Stout", and it was a real eye opener. My guess is this manager is one of them.
1 person likes this
@cybersoft01 (1284)
• India
17 Oct 08
Yes, I do think some employers are less than human. You have told a horrible story. The manager in question should not only have been reported to head office but have been told where to get off. I would never eat in that particular fast food chain. I have many such experiences which I would share some other time
1 person likes this
@Margarit (3676)
• Philippines
17 Oct 08
Should this manager have been reported to head office?
Yes it should be reported for he is not concern with her imployees condition and the customers condition .
Should this young girl have been allowed to leave, as soon as possible?
It should be for the fact she is working for a fast food chain.
Do you think this is a health code violation?
Yes ofcourse
Would you eat at this fast food chain again, knowing this?
No ways, why should i
Do you have a horror story of your own to
share, about a workplace?
since i am working in a company of retailer of spare parts, there is no health issue is concern for the costumer, i am glad that my employer is kind and very understanding, i hope it wont happen to us employees.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
16 Oct 08
Yes I believe she should have been as the Girl could have collapsed, as she was not strong enough to work, also as your Daughter said it was a Health Issue to handling Food when you are not well, it does sound that the Girl was in a terrible way and should not have been refused in the first Place, I believe the "Boss" should still be reported as this can harm the Business if it comes to light that this happened
Hugs to you
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
16 Oct 08
I definitely think that has to be some sort of health code violation because she was ill and because she was vomitting. She should have been allowed to go home pretty quickly. I would have pushed for her to go home because I can't afford to get any other employees sick, nor can I deal with having customers getting sick and having it come back to me. Really, how much would it have hurt to allow one employee to leave because she was sick. I would have quit myself. And, I do think this boss should be reported to someone. That's just not right and it could have endangered the lives of customers.
1 person likes this
@sirnose (2436)
• United States
16 Oct 08
Yes,you and your daugther should report this manager to the district manager or write or email the ceo of this fast food corporation...This is the only way that the workplace can get better if everyone do their fair share of carrying the load and one of them is to report problems especially when they endanger one's health or well being...That former employee should also be encourage to do the same report this idiot of a manager to corporate higher-ups...
1 person likes this
@magojordan (3252)
• Philippines
17 Oct 08
Well some managers are really just inhuman. They think that since they are managers they should be followed most of the time. The bad thing about most of them is that they don't even know what you are doing and there they are ordering you what you should be doing. 
I hope your daughter finds a better job with a better manager.
I hope your daughter finds a better job with a better manager. @thickdogg (39)
• Bahamas
16 Oct 08
This is absolutly outrageous this manager should not only be reported and dismissed, but he should be charged for endangering the public not to mention the life of his employee. I know employers can be cruel, I work in an organization where sometimes you are treated unfairly, but if you inform your supervisor that you are ill he is obligated too release you for that day to seek medical attention.
1 person likes this
@gyanarath (10)
• India
17 Oct 08
Some emplyer are looking as less than a human but actually are not. Some situation or enviornment change them to do that . they actually want to run their team in a good condition and show their best performance for that resoan they behave like a beast.
1 person likes this
