Can someone get fired for calling in with a sunburn

F

Firemier

New Member
Jurisdiction
Wisconsin
I had a coworker call in saying he couldn't come in because he got sunburn my manager said we couldn't fire him over that because it could be covered by a law I just was wondering if that was true or not and what the law is
 
It's a moot question because the manager won't fire him. Are you trying to get him fired? It's really none of your business.
 
Your manager is mistaken, but he's not entirely off the wall either. There are laws that protect an employee from being fired for missing work due to illnesses. They wouldn't apply in this case, but they do exist.

Besides, firing someone for calling in one day is a bit extreme, don't you think?
 
Most employees in corporations and large companies get personal days off for things like doctor's appointments and just a personal day off that does not count against vacation time they have.

So, what do you care about someone getting a day off because of sunburn?
 
Aside from what's already been said (all of which I agree with), how is calling in sick because of a sunburn any different than calling in because of a migraine or stomach flu or bladder infection, etc., etc.?
 
cbg said:
Your manager is mistaken, but he's not entirely off the wall either. There are laws that protect an employee from being fired for missing work due to illnesses. They wouldn't apply in this case, but they do exist.

Besides, firing someone for calling in one day is a bit extreme, don't you think?
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It hasn't been one day it's been a long on going thing I should of said I'm the supervisor but my supervisor is the only one that can hire and fire people
 
Firemier said:
I had a coworker call in saying he couldn't come in because he got sunburn my manager said we couldn't fire him over that because it could be covered by a law I just was wondering if that was true or not and what the law is
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An employee could potentially get fired for a thousand reasons or more.

More often than not, layoffs due to declining revenue is the catch all reason for terminating someone's employment.
 
cbg said:
Your manager is mistaken, but he's not entirely off the wall either. There are laws that protect an employee from being fired for missing work due to illnesses. They wouldn't apply in this case, but they do exist.
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I think whether the ADA would apply in this instance would turn on just how severe that sunburn was. Some sunburns are very painful, damaging to the skin, and require some significant medical care. If I were that manager, I also wouldn't want to go down that road of arguing over whether the sunburn was bad enough to be covered. Let the employee take the day off for the sunburn. It avoids that fight and builds employee good will. Now, if the employee shows up the following day with no sign of sunburn, the lie about the sunburn would be something worth firing the employee over.
 
I was thinking FMLA but yeah, if the burn was bad enough I suppose the ADA could come into play as well.

In any case, I think you and I and the manager all agree that this isn't a road he wants to go down and that just letting him have the time off is the better solution.
 

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