Calling in sick at work is your right as an employee. Taking a sick day is a common request when employees come down with a cold, the flu, or another illness. Sickness may not only render an employee unable to perform his or her job, but it may also be contagious and liable to spread to other employees.
Taking a sick day is often the best solution to getting well, yet many employers ask pointed and often very personal questions about illness, making employees feel that they have to prove their sickness. This is somehow what happened to a man from India.
After his manager refused to grant him leave for medical care though he had 70 days’ leave in credit, a government employee arrived at his office in an ambulance with his family to prove he is indeed sick.
The 36-year-old Babu from Kaspapetta, Arasalloor, Erode is a diabetic patient who was working as a bus driver of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Limited. He was under supervision at a private hospital and has been on medication for a long time.
As Babu was in the hospital, his wife Annakkodi called up the bus depot and requested manager Subramanian to grant him leave for a few days of treatment. However, the manager refused and told his wife that he had already taken leave of around 70 days in his years of service until now. He warned her that if he took leave again, his salary would be deducted.
“I was in deep distress as my leave was rejected though I had 70 days in credit. That is why I came to the depot in an ambulance,” he said.
Babu requested the hospital for an ambulance to take him to the office and arrived there with his wife and children Hari and Meharika. They reached the depot at 10 AM, but the security guard refused entry to the family which led other workers at the depot to prepare for a protest. Sensing trouble, Babu was allowed to hand over his leave application. After discussing the issue with the officials and the union federation for an hour, the manager finally approved the leave. Babu returned to the hospital in the same vehicle.
source: buzzooks