Sana
Mental health is an essential aspect of overall well-being yet it is often overlooked in the workplace.
This is a common issue that many people face, including the recently promoted manager in this story. The newly promoted manager failed to show up for work without any notice, causing her boss to become angry and confront her. The manager explained that she needed a mental health day and some self-care, but her boss was still upset that she had not called to let him know about her absence. He gave her two options: to go back to her old position with her old pay or be fired completely. She felt discriminated against due to her mental health and gender, and their relationship became strained. Scroll down for the complete story.
The headline of the story is:
OP owns a small vape shop with 12 employees and promoted Peggy, a former cashier with 2 years of good work, to Manager, but she didn’t show up for her shift.
OP wakes up to 22 notifications on the store’s Facebook page with customers and employees trying to access the shop. OP was unable to get in touch with Peggy, he opened the store and an hour before Peggy’s shift was supposed to end, she called back.
OP talks to Peggy about her mental health day and tries to be understanding, but is still confused about Peggy’s explanation, leading OP to question Peggy’s reliability in handling store responsibilities.
OP gives Peggy the option to either go back to her old position or be fired completely:
OP believes that the issue with Peggy could have been easily avoided if she had just called out and expressed that no-call/no-show behavior is not conducive to running a successful business.
OP is conflicted and wonders if he is the AH for taking away Peggy’s promotion, but also acknowledges that Peggy could have avoided the situation by simply calling him.
OP updates his post with an edit:
OP provided an update stating that Peggy reached out to him, apologized for the no-call/no-show and her reaction to OP’s response, and explained that she was lashing out due to her mental state.
OP accepted Peggy’s apology and apologized to her for giving her too much responsibility too quickly and for reacting emotionally. Peggy explained that she had a major issue on Monday:
OP has reached an agreement with Peggy to take all her accumulated PTO and not schedule her on the anniversary day, and has offered her a lateral transfer to a new role as a lead cashier rather than a demotion:
Employers must strive to create a supportive and inclusive work environment that allows employees to take care of their mental health without fear of retaliation or discrimination. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues in the workplace know that there are resources available to help. Speak to a mental health professional or HR representative to discuss your options. Let’s all work together to create a safe and healthy work environment for everyone.
OP has informed Peggy that she can send a thumbs-down emoji via text message as notice of absence in the future, even when she’s “out of spoons”.
OP learned about the “spoon theory” and “Peter principle” from the comments on his post:
“Imagine if everyone communicated this effectively”
We need more employers like OP:
The best boss ever:
Managers are getting impressed by OP’s willingness to support their employees.
What are your thoughts on this story? Have you or someone you know experienced similar situations in the workplace? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
The dog tax:
Source: Reddit
“This is my new puppy, and she’s lovely”
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