AITA for leaving work sick even though my coworker needed me there?

This happened yesterday,

I work a job where teamwork is very important and I share responsibilities with two coworkers. One of which has been out of town. Over the last few days I had been feeling very sick with flu like symptoms. Vomiting, nausea, chills, sore throat, cough, headache, dizziness, etc. I tried to push through the workday because I knew we were already shorthanded for a meeting after work and my coworker needed me there.

While working, I became extremely nauseous and almost threw up. Another woman who works there told my boss and my boss sent me home despite my protests. I left work and immediately went to an urgent care.

At the urgent care I texted my coworker that I was sent home sick and would not be able to make the meeting due to the reasons above. They responded that they really needed me there (which I understand completely), that we can’t miss obligations no matter what, and we will talk about it later. This made me feel extremely guilty, especially because I didn’t choose to leave, I was told to go home. Something worth mentioning is we report to separate bosses.

Later they told me to just go home but they still needed to talk about this. I again apologized and explained I was following medial advice, but I still feel conflicted and bad about leaving them short handed.

AITA for leaving work and missing an obligation that my coworker needed me for, despite me being sent home sick?

14 thoughts on “AITA for leaving work sick even though my coworker needed me there?”
  1. NTA.

    Is this coworker gonna show up at your funeral and tell the story about when despite your illness you pushed through and y’all made the meeting?

  2. NTA You were legitimately sick and told to go home by your boss.

    You don’t report to your coworker. It is a job not life & death.

    Tell your boss about the coworker comments & requested meeting. Ask for guidance & assistance. While you don’t want to burn the coworker relationship this is not acceptable.

    Wishing you the best!

  3. NTA for going home, but you are an AH for going into the office when sick!! Seriously keep your germs to yourself and stay home when sick! Did we (as a society) learn NOTHING from the \*minor\* pandemic a few years ago?!?!

  4. NTA. Your boss sent you home sick, you went to urgent care. You followed orders and medical advice. Being severely ill is a valid reason to miss work.

  5. NTA.

    >we can’t miss obligations no matter what

    Your coworker is being unreasonable and frankly unprofessional. You showed up to work sick, tried to tough it out, and only left because your boss, not you, made the responsible call to send you home.

  6. NTA 

    Tell him to direct any questions about your absence to your boss, the one who directed you to leave. 

  7. **NTA**. No one should be going into the workplace and working with other people if they are sick enough to be vomiting (and/or have a fever).

    I realize that you, OP, didn’t create the work environment of your job but – jeez. “We can’t miss obligations no matter what.” That’s pretty harsh. Can’t miss work if your spouse is in a car accident? Can’t miss work if you have a a fever of 103 deg? That’s nuts.

  8. NTA. You’re sick, if I was your boss I’d send you home too and just deal with running short for the rest of the shift. 

    Your coworker can be mad, they can be upset by the circumstances even if its understandable. However, they’ll get over it. The day comes to an end eventually and you’ll clock out and go home. It’s not the end of the world. 

    You don’t need to discuss anything with them about the meeting other than going over the notes and key points of what you missed. They don’t get the last say when it comes to your health.

  9. >Over the last few days I had been feeling very sick with flu like symptoms. Vomiting, nausea, chills, sore throat, cough, headache, dizziness, etc. I tried to push through the workday

    >AITA for leaving work

    Just the opposite. YTA for staying at work while this ill and risking spreading this to your co-workers.

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