hey everyone! I’ve been a partner for about 6 months now and have (mostly) enjoyed my time so far. In the 6 months I’ve been here, I have called out sick a total of 2 times. I have stomach issues and they flare up occasionally, which makes it really hard for me to function normally. the two times I called out were because I didn’t think I could suck it up/it wouldn’t be safe for me to be there (threw up). calling out is already challenging for me because it makes me feel guilty/anxious, but it’s become especially bad because I feel like every time I do it my manager “punishes” me for it. the last time I called out was because I was up the whole night throwing up, and I alerted her ASAP (via text, in the middle of the night, because I was supposed to open). she responded instantly & informed me that “because it was so last minute, I needed to call around and find my own replacement.” she did this to me last time as well, making me find my own replacement despite being really sick (I couldn’t find anyone, and neither could she, so the store had to close early and I feel like I’m still being held responsible for it). I know that in the partner manual it says that you’re not responsible for your own coverage if you’re sick, but every time, it becomes my responsibility. the thing that really upsets me about this, though, is that my SM has obvious favorites, and when one of these other partners calls out, she bends over backwards to find coverage for them (without trying to make them look for it themselves). I just hate being put in the position of feeling like I have to sacrifice my health for the sake of the store, or feel the wrath for putting myself first. she also specifically hovers around another partner & I A LOT when we’re on the floor, making a point to point out our mistakes when other newer partners don’t get this same treatment (when they mess up more frequently).

I am not totally sure what to do about this either. I was planning to quit before school starts in late September, because I also have a career-oriented job lined up to start around that time, but I’m not sure I can take much more of this. At the same time I feel really bad quitting, because we have a high turnover rate (a bunch of partners just quit/transferred) and are understaffed, and I don’t want to hurt the store further. If I do stick it out until September, I don’t know if it’s worth it to try and have a conversation with my SM or DM because I will be leaving in a month or less either way. Would appreciate any advice bc I might be just overanalyzing it and spiraling but I am feeling very very anxious & overwhelmed rn lol