Olive Garden Manager Fired For One Hell Of A Sick Leave Policy

A manager at an Overland Park, Kansas Olive Garden–well, now a former manager, according to Olive Garden's parent company—is getting heat over allegedly trying to implement a devious sick leave policy.

The manager is accused of sending a letter to employees explaining the implementation of a new sick leave police. Part of the letter, which was retrieved by a local news station, reads, "We are no longer tolerating ANY excuse for calling off. If you're sick, you need to come prove it to us. If your dog died, you need to bring him in and prove it to us. If it's a 'family emergency' and you can't say, too bad."

Don't like it? "Go work somewhere else," the letter advises. Which, after requesting a good look at a dead pet, feels like an invitation.

In the alleged letter, the manager also mentions that she herself had personally come into shifts while sick, and even made it to work on time after getting into a car crash. Don't tell people that! That's embarrassing! No one should care about their job that much. Find something else in your life that brings you joy! Those breadsticks are not that good.

The letter goes on to say that anyone who calls in sick more than one time over the next 30 days would be fired, because everyone knows that when you're sick, you're only sick for one day. And if a restaurant is short-staffed, what better way to solve the problem than to fire employees?

The letter writer concludes by thanking those who come in on time, and expressing the hope that everyone will continue to work there. Telling your employees that you don't respect them unless they die for Olive Garden and then following up with "But we're cool, right?" is an approach that never backfires. Your subordinates love that, and no one will tweet about it.

Here's hoping the next manager at that Olive Garden is normal about it!