A café worker says they covered a colleague’s shifts for four months after the colleague allegedly cited family emergencies and illness, according to a post shared on Reddit. The worker, who posts under the username u/ExplorerExpress257, said the arrangement changed after they happened to run into the coworker at a mall on a day she had called in over a “family situation.”
According to the post, shared on the subreddit r/AmITheJerk, the coworker would frequently text asking for shift coverage, citing serious reasons. The OP said they agreed each time because they believed the coworker was going through a difficult period and worked at what they described as a fairly busy café.
The situation apparently shifted last week when the original poster declined a coverage request for the first time because they already had other plans. The coworker had said she had a “family situation” and could not come in. Later that same day, the original poster said they ran into her at a mall with a group of friends, where she appeared to be enjoying herself.
OP says they later set a boundary after the encounter
The original poster wrote that they did not say anything to the coworker when they saw her at the mall and instead “just kind of processed it.” According to the post, when the coworker texted the following week again asking for another shift to be covered, the OP said they were no longer able to help and suggested she speak with the manager directly about her schedule.
Following that exchange, the OP said the coworker became distant and allegedly told other coworkers that the OP had “let her down.” The post states that two coworkers viewed the original poster’s decision as unreasonable, arguing that what the coworker does on her day off is her own business. Workplace disputes over shift coverage have drawn attention before, including two Starbucks employees who were fired after stepping in during a robbery.
The OP pushed back on that framing in the post, noting that the time in question was not the coworker’s day off but a shift the original poster had agreed to cover. “She lied to me. Multiple times. I was rearranging my whole week, thinking she was dealing with something serious,” the OP wrote.
The post drew a large number of responses on Reddit. One commenter wrote, “if she was using her actual days off for leisure activities, your co-workers would be right. But she didn’t. She used YOUR days off and lied to you to make it happen!” Another commenter pointed out a distinction between a scheduled shift and an actual day off, writing, “It objectively was not her day off if she was asking someone to cover her shift.”
Some commenters suggested that the coworkers who criticized the original poster should offer to cover the shifts themselves. One wrote, “Tell your co-workers they can cover for her on their days off if they feel so strong about.” Another said, “Your coworkers that are giving you a hard time can volunteer to cover for her.”
Disputes between employees and employers over leave and absences have surfaced in other reported cases as well, including an employee who said they were fired while caring for a dying parent. But not all responses framed the situation the same way.
One commenter argued that shift coverage decisions should be based on personal preference rather than feelings about the coworker, writing, “Whether you’re pitying her or mad at her, these are poor reasons to be picking up or denying shifts… You should be just agreeing or disagreeing to pick up shifts based off yourself.”
Another commenter offered a suggestion for the coworker going forward, writing, “Even if she had legit issues, it is not OPs responsibility, morally or ethically, to continually cover for her. The other girl should ask the mgrs for fewer hours instead of inconveniencing everyone else.”
The OP has not publicly indicated whether they plan to address the situation further with management or with the coworker directly.
Published: Jun 30, 2026 02:18 pm