'Child's sickness no longer a valid excuse for leave': Office memo leaves Reddit fuming

A photograph of the Reddit post showing the office memo. (Image: antiwork/Reddit)

An unnamed office has circulated a memo declaring that calling in sick due to a child's illness will now result in a disciplinary write-up, in a post that has gone viral on social media.

The memo’s introduction reflects an ongoing debate about work-life balance and employee rights, especially in the context of caregiving responsibilities. The user who shared the photo of the memo wrote: “Where would you report this kind of behaviour?”

The memo, which was shared on Reddit’s antiwork subreddit, reads: “Attention all employees: Calling out because your child is sick is no longer a valid excuse to miss work and will now result in a write-up. We do not employ your children and as such their sickness is not an excuse for you to miss work. Go team!”

Several offices across the world allow time-off in case of emergencies related to the health of children, old parents and even pets. So, Reddit did not take kindly to the directive.

Where would you report this kind of behaviour
byu/__7_7_7__ inantiwork

One commenter humorously suggested, “Yeah, I think that line was actually telling the ‘team’ to leave the company as fast as possible. Dust that resume off folks.”

Another reaction pointed to the memo’s tone, noting, “The fact that they know they're being too mean, so they felt the need to soften the blow at the end.”

Critics also remarked on the apparent disregard for family responsibilities. “I guess family doesn’t take teamwork,” read one comment, while another quipped, “Funny, ‘cause soon they’ll be saying ‘no team.’”

In a more pointed critique, one user suggested a potential response to the memo: “Legit. I would leave a response to this note saying ‘Whatever my kids get, I end up catching. But if you want five staff members to end up calling in sick instead of one, because I gave everyone covid, then fine. Your loss.’”

In a sharp contrast to this company, a Thailand firm introduced an unusual but innovative benefit—paid time off specifically for dating. Dubbed “Tinder leave,” the initiative allows employees to take paid time off to explore romantic opportunities, much like annual or sick leave.