"The part-timer looked sick, so I gave them sick leave... but they said they would keep it and use it later"

Part-time Worker Injures Finger, Takes 5 Days Sick Leave Then Demands 'Keep'
Requests Total 2 Weeks Paid Leave... "Feels Hurt After Rejection"

A story has gone viral about a part-time worker (alba-saeng) who was given sick leave pay but then told the employer that they wanted to split the sick leave and use it on the days they needed.

"The part-timer looked sick, so I gave them sick leave... but they said they would keep it and use it later"

A photo posted by self-employed person A, who gave a part-time worker five days of paid leave due to a finger injury. Part-time worker B expressed the intention to "keep" the leave and use it when needed.
[Photo by Online Community Archive]

According to social networking services (SNS) on the 19th, a self-employed person A, who runs a coffee shop, recently gave part-time worker B five days of sick leave pay as a gesture of consolation after B suffered a burn on their finger while working.

A said, "I agreed to pay if they sent me the hospital receipt, and since they asked about transportation costs to the hospital, I also decided to give them the basic taxi fare. On top of that, I offered paid leave and told them to rest for a week first."

However, part-timer B responded to A's offer by asking, "Can I use the leave when I need it?" expressing the intention to 'keep' the sick leave and use it as needed.

According to the photo attached by A, after hearing about the sick leave, B asked, "Can I use the days off you gave me on days when my finger is okay and go to work, and then use the leave when I need it?" When A said, "I don't understand what you mean. Please explain step by step," B replied, "I got five days off next week (Monday to Friday). If I go to work on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, it means I only used two days of leave. Can't I save the remaining three days and use them when I have a situation?"

Also, B reportedly requested an additional week of paid leave, saying, "The dressing is off, but my finger is not completely healed." To summarize B's claim, they want to receive two weeks of paid sick leave, use two days first, and then use the remaining paid leave days as needed.

When A said, "If you can't come for another week, I'll try to find a replacement, but it's difficult to treat it as paid leave," B insisted on additional paid leave, saying, "It's not that I don't want to work, but I can't come because I'm injured." When A said, "If the dressing is off, it seems the treatment is over," B replied with "I'll think about it" and added a crying emoticon (ㅠㅠ).

A said, "They asked for another week of paid leave, and I refused, but I feel bad that they are upset," adding, "I think I have been considerate, but I want to know objectively how others see this."

Netizens who saw the story responded with comments such as, "This employee has no concept of sick leave," "It's a level where just applying ointment and managing it is enough, but they took advantage because they were treated too well," "(Quoting B's last words) I think the one who needs to think is the employer, not the part-timer," and "This is why self-employment is tough."

The 'Paid Leave' Controversy Trending Among Netizens

A post about coworkers finding out that someone went to the 'Waterbomb' festival after taking sick leave.
[Photo by Online Community]

Meanwhile, issues related to paid leave due to sick leave have been a hot topic among netizens. In June, a post titled "I took sick leave on Friday but got caught going to Waterbomb, what should I do?" sparked controversy.

Waterbomb is the largest music and water-themed festival in Korea. It achieved a sold-out status for all tickets in its fourth year in 2018, thanks to its large-scale stage, artist lineup, and water cannon special effects, and it continues to guarantee success.

The author of the post, C, said, "I had a client meeting on Friday, but I went to the emergency room early that morning and got a receipt, then went to Waterbomb," adding, "My company manager was spying on my Instagram and caught me going to Waterbomb by seeing my story (an Instagram feature where posts disappear after 24 hours)."

C continued, "When I woke up in the morning, my name was mentioned in KakaoTalk and the company group chat," and added, "Should I quit?"

Netizens who saw the post responded with comments such as, "If you're not even sick, don't go to the emergency room, please stop," "They deserve to be fired," "Typical MZ generation," and "Even people like this get jobs."