‘Isn't a great look': Boss makes wild demand after worker breaks leg
A leaked text message exchange has revealed the wild request a boss made to an employee after they'd suffered a serious injury.
UK workplace expert Ben Askins has found his sweet spot online by sharing anonymous text message exchanges between workers and their managers and then offering advice.
It started out innocently enough: a boss texted a worker to find out why they couldn't attend their shift the next day.
'I broke my leg coming off my bike. I am in hospital at the moment,' the worker said.
The boss replied, 'S**t, I'm really sorry to hear that!'
This was a solid start ... but things quickly took a turn.
'When do you think you will be back?' The boss asked.
The worker replied and said they weren't sure when they'd be back because they needed to be on bed rest for a few days before trying out walking on crutches.
'Ideally I need you in for the Friday shift. Do you think you can make it? I can get you a chair,' the boss texted back.
'If the doctor says it is all good. Then yep no worries,' the worker replied.
'They are always overly cautious. I kind of just need you to commit too it,' the boss pressured.
'Like I said if the doctor is happy I will do it. But if they say no, I can't,' the worker wrote back.
The boss then doubled down and claimed it 'isn't a great look' for the worker to take time off because they'd only started working at the company two weeks ago.
'Then let me make it even easier for you. I quit,' the worker replied.
Mr Askins said that the worker's actions were 'fair enough' considering how unreasonable the boss was being.
He argued that no one ever plans to break their leg and how long ago the worker started at the job is irrelevant.
He also was in disbelief that the boss asked a worker to ignore their doctor's orders and come to work.
'You're putting in writing to go against medical advice? In what possible scenario does that end well for you?' He asked.
'It is the stupidity that gets me sometimes.'
Mr Askins praised the worker and said they couldn't have been more 'reasonable' in the exchange, then slammed the boss.
'He hasn't done it on purpose, he hasn't gone, and 'do you know what? That Friday shift is looking a bit rough for me I'm going to come off my bike and break my leg,' Mr Askins argued.
'What this boss was playing at? I have absolutely no idea!'
Online, people shared their own horror stories of when they'd gotten sick, and their managers still demanded they work.
'My former employer said I couldn't have picked a worse time to have a miscarriage,' one shared.
'My boss didn't believe I'd broken my arm. I sent him six Dr letters (which he claimed he didn't receive), photocopies of my x-rays, and a photo of me in a sling, and I also came in to show him. Took them to small claims court and won when they fired me,' someone said.
'I completely lost my voice and was told to stay off work and not speak for over a month. I work in a primary school, and my head said, 'Could I not just sit at the back of the class?' another student said.
'I was a nurse. I collapsed at work and was found to have had a bleed on my brain. My manager came to the ward I was on after I'd just had a lumbar puncture and was asking when I'd be back at work because I was scheduled for night duty the day after and I 'should know how hard it is to get cover,' someone else said
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
4 hours ago
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Easy English 12 June 2025
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Biwa Kwan. The future of the AUKUS security alliance between Australia, the US and the UK is uncertain, after the US announced a review into the deal. The Pentagon has launched a review of the agreement to ensure it aligns with President Donald Trump's policy agenda. Defence Minister Richard Marles has dismissed speculation the United States may back out of the deal, saying it is important to stick to the plan to ensure the defence capability is acquired. The Opposition's spokesman for defence, Angus Taylor says actions must be taken to ensure the AUKUS deal is maintained. "We have been consistent in providing bipartisan support to AUKUS. And we will continue. It is hugely important that it succeed for peace in our part of the world. This US review came out of the blue. We need to know to what extent was the review triggered by Labor's failure to fund defence in this country to a level that the US and other partners think is appropriate." Greens defence spokesperson David Shoebridge says the US review shows the AUKUS deal makes Australia a junior partner in America's military strategy, not an equal ally. Some of Australia's most popular sunscreens - including some made by Bondi Sands, Banana Boat and the Cancer Council - are not delivering on the claims made on the level of skin protection. Independent testing by consumer group Choice found more than three-quarters of SPF 50+ sunscreens did not have the advertised protection Choice CEO Ashley de Silva says only four of the 20 sunscreens tested in an accredited sunscreen lab actually met their claims of SPF 50 or 50+ protection. The Cancer Council says its test results shows their sunscreens meet their SPF ratings, but they have submitted the products for further testing. Several other popular brands have indicated they plan to do additional testing, following the findings. The chief executive of Monash IVF has resigned, after the fertility clinic revealed a second instance of an error involving an embryo transfer - two months after the first mix-up. Michael Knaap, who had been the chief executive since 2019 has resigned. Earlier this week, in a statement to the stock exchange, Monash IVF revealed the mix-up took place on June 5 at its Melbourne laboratory. An Australian sperm donor, caught up in a cyber security data breach, has told S-B-S he is unsure how he and his donor-conceived child will be affected. Isaac chose to use Genea Fertility, which was later hacked by cyber criminals in a data breach. The family histories of medication and mental illness of some of the clinic's donors are now being shared on the dark web. Isaac says he is worried his own sensitive medical information could be weaponised. His response has been voiced up by a journalist to protect his privacy: "What happens if I get a job which is relatively high profile or dealing with sensitive activity, could this open me up to not getting employed because an employer might've found my internet history, and maybe they have had ethical concerns or concerns with my health record. It's taken away my agency and my choice to disclose that information if I want to. That's only compounded further by the lack of information that I've been provided about this investigation and the data breach." In a statement, Genea told SBS its cyber teams are working hard to understand the nature and extent of the data that has been published, and to identify affected individuals. The Filipino community in Australia is marking Philippines Independence Day, with festivities to showcase the country's heritage, culture and community spirit. June 12th commemorates the declaration of Philippine independence from Spain in 18-98, and has been the country's National Day since 1978. Filipino-Australian Siegfrid Bacani was born in the Philippines and came to Australia as a teenager. He told SBS Filipino it is important that his son knows his heritage. "I read storybooks to him. Not that my Tagalog is that great, but it is important to celebrate culture."
The Australian
5 hours ago
- The Australian
Study backs Rhythm's colorectal risk model
Rhythm publishes peer-reviewed study validating its next-generation colorectal cancer risk assessment model Proprietary geneType assessment enhanced and cross-validated using data from nearly 400,000 individuals in UK Biobank Next generation geneType design continues focus on usability and simplicity, while providing superior performance Special Report: Rhythm Biosciences has published a peer-reviewed study in PLoS One validating its next-generation colorectal cancer risk assessment model, marking a major step forward in predictive cancer diagnostics. Rhythm Biosciences (ASX:RHY) said the study detailed updates and improvements to its proprietary geneType colorectal cancer risk assessment, which was enhanced and cross-validated using data from nearly 400,000 individuals in the UK Biobank. Rhythm said the article titled 'Colorectal cancer risk prediction using a simple multivariable model' described creation and validation of a new risk model that incorporated sex-specific factors and outperformed current models. The company said as colorectal cancer was a disease associated with many environmental and lifestyle risk factors, the study focused on expanding its geneType model beyond the two primary risk factors – family history and polygenic risk. Watch: Inside ColoSTAT's road to market Key findings of study Rhythm said the study delivered several key findings, most notably development of the enhanced risk model that incorporated three additional risk factors. These factors were selected for their strong associations with colorectal cancer and ease of use in a clinical setting, improving the model's predictive performance over standard family history assessments. The company said the most impactful risk factors were identified and integrated into an updated geneType risk model, which was then tested using data from the UK Biobank. Rhythm said other key findings included: Commitment to improvement – The study highlighted the importance of including clinical and lifestyle factors in multifactorial diseases like colorectal cancer. Commercial application – The new model was designed with commercial clinical applications in mind, minimising the number of risk factors while maximising predictive accuracy. Sex-specific factors – Incorporating sex-specific risk factors enhances model performance across diverse populations. Superior performance – A multivariable risk assessment is shown to be superior to standard of care of family history assessment in its ability to predict risk of developing colorectal cancer. 'Significantly improve stratified screening' Rhythm director of scientific affairs Dr Erika Spaeth said publishing the findings in PLoS One underscored its commitment to advancing cancer risk prediction. 'Our new multifactorial model outperforms previous methods based solely on polygenic risk and family history,' she said. 'By integrating clinical and lifestyle factors, we enhance our prediction accuracy for colorectal cancer. 'We're excited about these results and confident that this model will significantly improve stratified screening in the population." This article was developed in collaboration with Rhythm Biosciences, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
‘Isn't a great look': Boss makes wild demand after worker breaks leg
A leaked text message exchange has revealed the wild request a boss made to an employee after they'd suffered a serious injury. UK workplace expert Ben Askins has found his sweet spot online by sharing anonymous text message exchanges between workers and their managers and then offering advice. It started out innocently enough: a boss texted a worker to find out why they couldn't attend their shift the next day. 'I broke my leg coming off my bike. I am in hospital at the moment,' the worker said. The boss replied, 'S**t, I'm really sorry to hear that!' This was a solid start ... but things quickly took a turn. 'When do you think you will be back?' The boss asked. The worker replied and said they weren't sure when they'd be back because they needed to be on bed rest for a few days before trying out walking on crutches. 'Ideally I need you in for the Friday shift. Do you think you can make it? I can get you a chair,' the boss texted back. 'If the doctor says it is all good. Then yep no worries,' the worker replied. 'They are always overly cautious. I kind of just need you to commit too it,' the boss pressured. 'Like I said if the doctor is happy I will do it. But if they say no, I can't,' the worker wrote back. The boss then doubled down and claimed it 'isn't a great look' for the worker to take time off because they'd only started working at the company two weeks ago. 'Then let me make it even easier for you. I quit,' the worker replied. Mr Askins said that the worker's actions were 'fair enough' considering how unreasonable the boss was being. He argued that no one ever plans to break their leg and how long ago the worker started at the job is irrelevant. He also was in disbelief that the boss asked a worker to ignore their doctor's orders and come to work. 'You're putting in writing to go against medical advice? In what possible scenario does that end well for you?' He asked. 'It is the stupidity that gets me sometimes.' Mr Askins praised the worker and said they couldn't have been more 'reasonable' in the exchange, then slammed the boss. 'He hasn't done it on purpose, he hasn't gone, and 'do you know what? That Friday shift is looking a bit rough for me I'm going to come off my bike and break my leg,' Mr Askins argued. 'What this boss was playing at? I have absolutely no idea!' Online, people shared their own horror stories of when they'd gotten sick, and their managers still demanded they work. 'My former employer said I couldn't have picked a worse time to have a miscarriage,' one shared. 'My boss didn't believe I'd broken my arm. I sent him six Dr letters (which he claimed he didn't receive), photocopies of my x-rays, and a photo of me in a sling, and I also came in to show him. Took them to small claims court and won when they fired me,' someone said. 'I completely lost my voice and was told to stay off work and not speak for over a month. I work in a primary school, and my head said, 'Could I not just sit at the back of the class?' another student said. 'I was a nurse. I collapsed at work and was found to have had a bleed on my brain. My manager came to the ward I was on after I'd just had a lumbar puncture and was asking when I'd be back at work because I was scheduled for night duty the day after and I 'should know how hard it is to get cover,' someone else said
