Anyone who has worked a service job with a horrible boss knows just how hard it is to keep up morale and do your best work.
You might even start fantasizing about getting revenge—and that’s exactly what one fed-up server did after being fired for taking time off for a medical emergency.
A recent post on the Pro-Revenge Reddit forum with the headline “Terminated me while on medical leave, put them on permanent leave” has folks revisiting their own work traumas and perhaps living vicariously through user furry_control—and probably rethinking dining at a certain pancake chain.
“I was an employee at a well-known breakfast chain, particularly popular for their wide selection of pancakes, for nearly three years,” writes the OP. “I was decently well-liked among the employees and had a very good friend who had just been promoted to a shift manager by the former general manager, who was a really great guy that unfortunately got transferred to a different store against his wishes. He was replaced by a horrible, power-hungry shift manager that no one cared for.”
One day, the OP experienced stabbing pain in the lower right abdomen while at work. Finding it nearly impossible to keep working and wanting to go to the hospital, the OP decided to call the general manager and say there was an emergency, “to which she told me if I left, then I would be fired.”
The OP kept working and then immediately left for the hospital afterward—where they received a diagnosis of appendicitis. Instead of being understanding and concerned, the OP’s manager was not sympathetic at all.
“A few hours later, I was notified that I needed an appendectomy, and it would be scheduled for the following morning. I agreed, signed the release, and called up my manager to notify her. I told her that I would be out of work for at least a few days, but after surgery, I’d let her know. It is important to know that I kept her informed throughout my entire absence. I even sent her a picture of myself laying in a hospital bed after multiple accusations of faking,” writes the OP.
After returning after two weeks due to complications, the OP was greeted by the general manager saying they were fired.
“‘Excuse me? You’ve already been terminated for no-call-no-showing for two weeks.’ I reminded her that I did, in fact, keep her informed, and had proof. She cut me off, and with an annoyed tone, said that she’d give me another chance.”
But she did not give the OP another chance, and here is where the delicious revenge story really gets cooking.
“So this restaurant was dirty. Huge roaches infesting the kitchen and dining room, black mold, rotten food mixed with fresh food, water leaks so bad the carpet in the dining room is literally decaying, you name it. We have reported these issues to the general manager multiple times, but nothing ever happened. My friend sent the trainee home, with the excuse that our labor was too high, and I spent the remainder of my shift taking pictures of every continuous health-code violation I seen.”
“I went straight to the health department, asked to speak with him, and supplied seven written paragraphs of every violation, as well as all of the pictures I had taken to back my claim up.”
“[The health inspector] informed me that with the picture evidence, it would be hard for the restaurant to fight. He also informed me he would follow up with a surprise inspection the next morning.”
“The next morning, I woke up, and found messages from my general manager, calling me a “snitch” and a “greiner (whiner).”
So what eventually happened? According to OP, the regional manager was fined $7,000, and the franchise closed down the restaurant.
Apparently, revenge is a dish best served in a restaurant that’s not compliant with the health codes!