A toxic manager can cause anyone’s blood to boil, but typically, this doesn’t cause any real health risks. For one employee, however, being refused water at work resulted in not only frustration, but also a serious threat to his health.
Below, you’ll find a story that this worker recently shared on the Malicious Compliance subreddit, detailing how he ended up in the hospital for simply following his manager’s commands.
Despite the fact that his body was dangerously overheating, this employee was denied a water break by his manager
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
So he decided to maliciously follow commands, unintentionally creating a much larger issue for his manager and the entire company
Image credits: Jonathan Cooper (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Victor Amenze (not the actual photo)
Later, the man shared that OSHA had investigated the situation, and changes have already been implemented in his workplace
Image credits: fauxels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: FrostDragon57
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
Water is a basic necessity that all workplaces in the United States are required to provide access to
We all know that water is a basic necessity that everyone deserves access to whenever necessary, but unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for managers in a workplace to value productivity over the safety of their employees. According to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (or OSHA), however, places of employment are required to provide “potable water for all employee health and personal needs” and “potable drinking water in amounts that are adequate to meet the health and personal needs of each employee.” Whether it’s a water cooler, a refrigerator stocked with water bottles or a faucet with clean tap water, there are no excuses for employers to deny their workers the ability to hydrate themselves.
In fact, aside from keeping workers healthy and happy, ensuring that employees are adequately hydrated can even boost productivity. Sadly, it’s estimated that up to 80% of adults in the United States typically go through their work days at least mildly dehydrated, but making sure workers are at a healthy level of hydration decreases the risk of work-related accidents and improves cognitive performance and decision-making abilities. According to the Mayo Clinic, the average adult male needs to drink about 15.5 cups, or 3.7 liters, of fluids per day, while women typically need around 11.5 cups, or 2.7 liters. However, increased physical activity or spending time in a warm environment increases how much a person sweats, therefore increasing how much water they require per day.
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Dehydration is dangerous for all employees, but can quickly become life-threatening for those with medical issues
Becoming dehydrated is dangerous for anyone, but especially when someone has a medical issue, such as the individual in this story, dehydration can be life-threatening. It’s likely that the man in this story has heat intolerance, which is not a medical condition in itself but can be caused by a variety of health issues. Healthline explains that individuals with heat intolerance often feel as though they’re overheating and may experience headaches, dizziness, weakness, cramping, nausea and an increased heart rate when they’ve become too hot. To avoid potential health risks, those who experience heat intolerance are recommended to stay in cool environments, drink plenty of water and iced drinks, minimize how much they sweat and wear lightweight cotton fabrics.
While this employee’s story thankfully had a happy ending, despite the fact that he did end up being hospitalized, plenty of other workers in similar situations have had more tragic outcomes. According to Industrial Machinery Digest, heat illness is much more common than it should be in American workplaces. “In 2019, workplace heat caused 43 worker deaths and at least 2,410 serious illnesses or injuries,” Anna Claire Howard writes for IMD. “And these numbers are even estimated to be low due to rampant underreporting. While it’s commonly known that heat exhaustion and dehydration can lead to heat stroke, excessive heat exposure can also exacerbate existing health conditions like asthma, anxiety or panic disorders, heat stress, and kidney failure.”
Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto (not the actual photo)
Heat illness in the workplace is preventable, and it's crucial that employers take it seriously
When it comes to preventing heat-related illnesses in the workplace, OSHA says employers should encourage their workers to drink plenty of fluids (water and sports drinks), work shorter shifts, take frequent breaks and learn how to quickly identify any heat illness symptoms. These recommendations are particularly important during a worker’s first few days in a hot environment, as our bodies need time to acclimate to extreme temperatures when we’re not used to them. OSHA also notes how helpful air conditioning systems and increasing air flow can be in warm environments. It can also be important for supervisors to strategically create schedules when dealing with heat, allowing for shorter shifts or less physical activity during the middle of the day.
There’s no reason for an employee to be injured, or worse, due to something as preventable as dehydration. I’m sure the manager in this particular story learned his lesson, but it’s unfortunate that anyone had to get hurt in the first place. We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever had to deal with a manager who denied access to necessities such as water? Feel free to share your thoughts, and then if you’re interested in another Bored Panda article featuring a manager who learned to listen to their employees, we recommend reading this one next!
Invested readers shared their thoughts on the story and their concern for the employee's health
Some also called out the man for risking his own safety, which he recognized was unwise
