You feel bad because you don't want your coworkers to suffer, but you need to prioritize your health, sanity and time as well. I always feel bad when I call in sick to work when I'm legitimately sick, and I feel so guilty. It's just the way this world has trained us to always be working, always be hustling, dumb stuff.

I always say that Starbucks will always be able to run at the end of the day.

That said I’m still the bitch that comes in early everyday because someone called out or is sick and needs to leave. I’ve been sick for a week straight with no one to cover me, but it be like that.

I feel horrible not covering for my coworkers and one time someone asked me to cover her shift because she felt horrible, barely had a voice, and she really needed to not come in to work that day. I told her I had plans that I NEEDED to do and that I literally could not come in. She goes “fine, I guess I’ll try to fix my voice before I have to go in then” guilt attempt #1 right there.

She comes back about an hour later going “hey we all worked together to cover your shift when you were sick” (I was sick about a week before and everyone that was working that day, except this girl, adjusted their shift in some way to help cover my shift even if it was just by an hour, this girl worked what she was originally scheduled and did not change at all) “can’t you at least come in a couple hours late and work that part of my shift?” Guilt attempt #2.

Now it is worth noting that I am horrible when it comes to guilt tripping, most any time someone tries to guilt trip me, I go along with it. I said I think I can make it by such and such time but I do still have stuff my doing I don’t know if I actually can. But I’ll try.

She asks if she is telling our manager that I will be there to cover her shift. (This is where I should have said no) I said yes I’ll be there.

So because I said yes I’ll be there, that made the shift mine. Well an hour and a half later I’m finally getting my car into the shop and it’ll be another hour and half or so wait until it’s finished. There is no way I would make it to work on time and this isn’t even the last of my plans for the day. I text the girl and my manager and say that I can’t make it, I thought I could and I should have said no when she asked. This girl got all pissed said (again) that they worked together to cover my shift the (ONE) time I called in sick and the last (only other) time I said I would be able to cover her shift but my tire went completely flat that day I wasn’t able to. I retaliated with “I have covered your shift at least half a dozen times and the last time I wasn’t able to was because I had a flat tire and that’s not something I can control.”

My manger was/is on my side through all of this but I still technically had to be written up because I said I could take the shift and then came back to say I couldn’t. When my manager said the write up would go to me, the girl immediately latched onto that as though it was some huge threat to me. I took the wind out of her sails by saying I can live with having a write up.

Basically what I’m saying with this long winded tale/rant is DON’T FUCKING GUILT TRIP YOUR COWORKERS! WE BOTH KNOW OUR JOBS ARE HARD ENOUGH AS IT IS!

Also again, I am horrible about agreeing to cover a coworkers shift even when they aren’t trying to guilt trip me. I don’t want to feel like an ass for saying to covering a shift.

I know how you feel. Girl at my stores kitten had died that morning (we all knew it wasn’t gonna make it) and she tried guilt tripping me into working the shift for her. I already worked during half of her shift, and already had a full eight that day. She kept saying how she needs time to grieve and yada yada yada. Later I see her at work, all happy and smiles (she couldn’t find anyone to cover her shift). It’s hilarious what people will do to get out of work and try and make you feel like the bad guy. Had another coworker call me (sounding very sick) asking me to cover her that day. I was already hours away so I said I couldn’t. Later that night I saw her post on Snapchat that she was at some wild and crazy party (during the time she was scheduled to work).

I’m the worst to myself. I can’t say no to covering a shift, which sucks because I’m asked all. The. Time. Even if I have plans. It has to be something really important for me to turn it down.

I am such an empathetic soul that I don't want to see my coworkers suffering if I can help it, but at a certain point I have to put my foot down and say "I miss my husband, my cats, the gym, my bed, food not warmed in a microwave, etc." and say no to the random night shifts.

The company is not going to fix this until it becomes a big enough problem which requires failure. If you keep saving the day, Starbucks will keep expecting you to.

I see posts like this so often and it always makes me sad. It’s hard to know your coworkers are suffering but establishing boundaries with your job is so important!!! Don’t overwork yourself

THANK YOU EVERYONE I NEEDED THIS! I’m working about 35+ hours this week and I feel if I worked today I would’ve died for this week...

You feel because you didn’t go in to work for a company that give no fucks about you....honestly I get it you probably feel bad for your coworkers but you need to take that time for yourself.

That's a normal feeling! You don't want your team to suffer. Try not to dwell too much on it. 💗

I hate that some of us are getting our hours cut but then there's me. 2hrs from pulling overtime every damn week so I can't even cover my sick co-workers like I want to. Like cut us equally. Damn.

My store crucifies us if we call in sick. It’s unspoken that if you call out, you’re a piece of shit. It sucks. Everyone gets upset.

[deleted]