Employee dealing with mother's death requests more than 3 days leave, boss threatens to fire instead. 'She needs to be back'

Workplace policies around grief and personal loss have often been debated, especially when employees are expected to return quickly after a tragedy. A recent post on Reddit has brought this issue into light again, after a manager allegedly threatened to fire an employee who asked for time off following her mother’s sudden death.

According to the post, the incident took place at a small retail shop where only three employees were working. The person who shared the story said her coworker, referred to as Julie, had been a key part of keeping the store running, even working alone for long hours before new staff joined.

Things took a turn when Julie’s child called the store to inform the manager about a family emergency. The manager, referred to as Lily, reportedly reacted badly to the call and insisted that Julie arrange her own shift coverage. A second call later clarified that Julie’s mother had passed away.


The coworker wrote that she stepped in to cover the shift, saying, “I, of course, offered to cover her shift for the next day.” However, the tension did not ease. When Julie later came in to request more time off, the situation escalated further.

Request for leave leads to ultimatum

Julie reportedly asked for the rest of the week off to deal with her loss. The coworker described her as visibly shaken, adding that she had tears in her eyes while explaining the situation.

She also made it clear that she needed time away, saying she would have to quit if the leave was not approved. According to the post, “She said she needs to take the rest of the week off to deal with her mother's passing. If Lily wouldn't let her, then she quits.”

The manager’s response was blunt. The coworker recalled, “well then I guess she quits.” The manager then pointed to company policy, stating that only three bereavement days were allowed and warning that failure to return immediately after could be treated as a resignation.

The post also highlighted how the situation was affecting the remaining staff. With limited employees, covering shifts had already become difficult. The coworker, who mentioned being on disability, said the increased workload was exhausting.

She also questioned the timing and reaction, suggesting the manager may have misread Julie’s actions during a moment of grief. At one point, the manager allegedly felt Julie was avoiding direct conversation, while the coworker believed she was simply overwhelmed.

The situation has since led the poster to consider leaving the job altogether.

Online reactions call out management

The story quickly gained traction, with many users criticizing the manager’s handling of the situation. One commenter wrote, “This job is poison, my friend so take this with a grain of salt but if I were you I would immediately start looking for something else to do no matter what it is.”

Another added, “It's not the job it's the manager that's poisonous.” Several others warned the original poster to secure another job before speaking up, while some said the treatment of a grieving employee raised serious concerns about workplace culture.

A user with management experience commented that handling such situations is part of the role, saying threatening employees over genuine personal emergencies reflects poor leadership.