Bengaluru employee takes Friday sick leave to chill at Coorg. Gets caught and paid the price on Monday

Often, employees pretend to fall “sick” on Fridays, so that they get to enjoy an extended weekend. But, what if the plan gets busted and the manager finds out? In today’s hyper-connected world, even a “stomach flu” needs to stay offline. A Reddit user recently shared a hilarious-yet-cringeworthy tale of his perfect weekend getaway plan getting busted. The post recounts how they faked a sick day to go on a weekend getaway to Coorg, only to be spectacularly busted by Instagram fame.

The plan seemed flawless: call in sick on Friday, enjoy a peaceful break at a scenic homestay, and return to work Monday like nothing happened. But things went south when a background reel from the homestay, showing someone dancing joyfully, went viral, racking up over 13,000 likes on Instagram. The twist? He was tagged in the viral video.

On Monday, their skip-level manager coolly dropped the reel link in a message with the line, “Hope your stomach is better.” The user admitted they’re still employed, but they haven’t been granted a single WFH request since. “He doesn’t trust me now,” the post read.

Social media had a field day with the post. “This is hilarious,” one user commented. Another said, “I cracked up reading this.” A third added, “Social media teams, take notes!"

Sick leave abuse?

On Reddit, recently a discussion on abusing sick leave had gone viral, with users sharing stories of colleagues who faked illness only to get hilariously or disastrously caught. While the rule in theory is simple, stay home and rest unless stepping out briefly for essentials, many treat it as an opportunity for mini-vacations, which often ends badly.

One user recalled a colleague who went on leave for "treatment" but posted cheerful vacation photos from a vacation sport. Their boss, who was also a Facebook friend, not only saw the post but even liked it, before accepting their resignation. Another shared how a co-worker always conveniently fell ill before tougher shifts. Though he tried to sell his “unwell” act the day before, he eventually got caught red-handed and was fired on the spot.

Some stories were even more cinematic. A user remembered looking out the window before work, only to spot the "sick" colleague dancing at a neighborhood wedding.