Sign Asking Coworkers To Donate Paid Time Off For Employee Getting Surgery Infuriates Twitter

A sign going viral on social media is serving as the latest reminder of how the United States functions on a system that isn’t actually any good for the majority of people.

Featured Video Hide

“Hey team! Our coworker…is having surgery and will be out for several weeks,” the message began, and most people can probably already see where this is going. “She does not have enough [paid time off] to cover her time off. If you would like to donate any time (1-hour increments), please complete the form and turn it into me.”

Advertisement Hide

The image doesn’t reveal any details about the company, but people were quick to assume this was the United States due to some of the terminology deployed and the fact that scrambling for enough money to take the time to deal with a health issue was a problem in the first place.

With pricy healthcare, low wages, and corporate structure that constantly prioritizes work over well-being, this kind of situation is far from unique. That, along with the fact that the proposed resolution was for other workers to give up their own paid time off, at the risk that they may need it themselves in the future, rather than the company just looking out for their employees, fueled the ongoing fires of frustrations with American corporate culture.

It’s spelled “country”

— E.C.Listening (@c_listening) March 29, 2022

Advertisement Hide

but Europe doesn’t have freedoms like we do. freedom to die by gun violence at school, freedom to be denied a life saving health care claim and lose your job and home in the process, freedom to have corporations be people. pic.twitter.com/z4CxZExEJN

— sam (@shamu_sam) March 30, 2022

Chances are she’s used her accumulated PTO (if any to begin with) for whatever it is she needs to have the surgery.

— christophollen (@christophollen) March 29, 2022

CEO SALARY: 30 million to 300 million

— DCLXVI (@AmericanCults) March 29, 2022

Some very valid points were raised.

Waah it’s not fair to people who don’t take leave
That’s true they should also get time off

— von honking ton (@vonhonkington) March 29, 2022

Advertisement Hide

It doesn’t have to be that way. Most people genuinely want their jobs and it would quickly become evident if someone was PTO shopping. I think you have internalized capitalism.

— This is the way the world ends (@GravitasIndeed) March 29, 2022

Not only do we just “take it” but there are TONS of people who are in the comments defending the company and blaming the employee.

— Always Poppin (@saltyandorsweet) March 29, 2022

And of course we all know how this story would be spun in some arenas.

because it furthers their narrative that the free market works. They’ll talk about people coming together in solidarity but never address how most people’s medical emergency fund is gofundme

— fern (@FernieSanders) March 30, 2022

And others had their own similar experiences they wanted to share.

My old workplace would do this, but they would blast out an email to all ~3000 employees and include the person’s name we’re living in hell https://t.co/JH6lPJjgBI

— Hard Coffee/ Loveless (@GaGaBarber) March 30, 2022

She had worked for her for years and the place we worked had just bought $25 million in new restaurants all while stealing $3.02 an hour from FOH staff.

Half of the staff refused to cash their checks when I got the DOL involved, some weird ass Stockholm syndrome.

— Comfort King (@WhiskeyOper8r) March 29, 2022

Advertisement Hide

The only way this kid was getting treatment for his cancer is if the nurse’s coworkers donated PTO to her. It was absurd and disgusting and so very offensive, but enough ppl. donated time that she got to spend the last 6 mos. of her kid’s life by his side & kept her job.

— Ninja Mama (@NinjaMama617) March 29, 2022

Imagine living in a society where people mattered more than profits. 

Share this article

*First Published: April 3, 2022, 6:29 am