I was once faced with a string of random and just unfortunate life circumstances. I fell ill with a nasty virus and it attacked my immune system to the point my internal organs were suffering and I had to be hospitalized. Due to this, I had to take PTO for 6ish business days. My first day back at work, after my hospitalization and recovery time, I got a call that my Grandpa’s health was declining and they didn’t know if he was going to make it. I called my Supervisor to let her know of the situation and that I may need to drive to my hometown to say goodbye. She made it clear to me how my absence had affected the team and my “in and out,” was causing some discord because other team members couldn’t take time away. I decided to stay in the office and head home at 5pm. My Grandpa died around 3:30pm that day and I wasn’t there. That company gave 24 hours (3 business days) of bereavement leave and I planned on taking all 3 to attend the funeral and be with family. I told my boss about my plans, and she told me that another team member already had plans to attend a funeral on the same day as my Grandpas and again about being a team player. I only took one day. It’s easy to know why I’m no longer with that organization, but I wish my younger self would have escalated that Supervisor’s behavior to the next level. Since leaving, I’ve heard nothing but discord happening within that organization and that company has undergone massive layoffs. Don’t let my biggest regret EVER become yours.
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