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An online post has sparked outrage online after a person claiming to be a Coles Supermarkets worker were told they should have given their boss a week’s notice before calling in sick with a stomach bug.
Screenshots shared to Reddit by appear to show the employee notifying their manager that they had developed symptoms of gastroenteritis amid an outbreak at another workplace.
“There is an ongoing gastro outbreak at my other job and now I am symptomatic of gastro,” the message reads.
“Not sure if I can work tomorrow.”
The alleged manager replied: “No way. You need to manage it.”
“As you know we are short staff here. You need to let me know 1 week in advance. It doesn’t work anymore like this here.”
The screenshots also appear to show the manager later sharing the exchange in a workplace group chat while reminding staff they were expected to complete their rostered shifts and update their availability each week.
The post, titled I should have planned getting gastro a week in advance, attracted more than 1,600 upvotes before comments were locked, with hundreds of Reddit users criticizing the alleged response.
“How tf do these people still exist,” one person wrote.
Another commented: “Imagine how much more short staffed they’re gonna be when the whole store catches gastro.”
Several others also raised food safety concerns after noting the screenshots appeared to show the conversation occurred within a deli team group chat, although it has not been verified where the alleged exchange took place or the identities of those involved.
The incident follows another workplace boundaries story reported by news.com.au last year, after an anonymous employee shared text messages allegedly showing a boss contacting them while they were on annual leave to help prepare for a client meeting. The exchange similarly sparked debate online about employers contacting staff outside work hours.
The Fair Work Ombudsman says employees who become unexpectedly ill should notify their employer as soon as practicable if they need to take personal leave and, if requested, provide evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person, such as a medical certificate or statutory declaration.
News.com.au reached out to Coles who declined to comment.
The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union and the original Reddit poster were also contacted.
The authenticity of the screenshots and the identities of those involved have not been independently verified.
