Boss Refused to Let Worker Leave After His Dog Bit Them

An employee has been urged to contact a lawyer after their boss refused to let them leave work to receive medical attention after his dog bit them.

In a popular post published on Reddit’s r/antiwork forum, an employee under the anonymous username u/notgoodredditname took their story to the subreddit and has received over 27,000 upvotes and 1,000 comments.

The original poster (OP) began their post by explaining that they work an office job where they sit in a “boring cubicle” and push buttons all day. Recently, their boss brought their dog in to work. The OP said the dog was not on a leash or in their boss’s office and was roaming the halls while barking and growling at other employees.

The OP wrote, “Many people asked the boss to keep the dog in his office but he wouldn’t listen. Apparently he’s a good boy and 20+ people were at fault, not the dog. He was right outside my cubicle and without any provocation he just started barking came into my cubicle and bit my leg. It was fine till he was barking, but I didn’t really have a chance to defend myself when he lunged forward. Everything was all of a sudden.

“I was shouting, my colleagues gathered around, the boss finally put a leash on his dog all the while cussing me and blaming me for all of this. I wanted ro go to a hospital but my supervisor had the audacity to ask me to complete my hours and then go. I threatened to press charges and rushed out. I’m pressing charges,” they continued.

The OP wrote in the comments that they believe the dog was a german shepherd mix and was bleeding from the bite.

Newsweek reached out to u/notgoodredditname for comment.

Newsweek has published several articles about work including a man’s epic anti-work rant that sent the internet into a meltdown, a worker who was praised for quitting their job after their bonus got cut in half and a boss who was slammed online for making a worker “choose between work and healthcare.”

What to do if you get hurt at work

If you ever get hurt while at work, begin the process of getting a worker’s compensation claim immediately, according to mitchellaplc.com. A worker’s compensation claim is when an employee is hurt on the job or receives an illness due to their occupation.

If you are hurt at work, you have workers’ compensation laws—which vary in each state. You have the right to file a claim for injury or illness, to see a doctor to receive medical treatment and to have a lawyer through the process. If given the OK from your doctor to return to work, you may do so. However, if you are unable to return to work, you have the right to receive disability compensation, according to Nolo.com.

What is the process of filling out a workers’ compensation claim? First receive proper medical treatment for the injury and receive the medical records to start the claim. The injured employee should let their employer know as soon as possible while also having what happened in writing. The employee must then begin filling out the right paperwork provided by the employer which is then given to their workers’ compensation insurance company, via cerity.com.

Redditor reactions

“Document what happened in writing and send it to them along with the medical records. Then contact a lawyer,” u/SweetiePieJ urged the OP, receiving the top comment of over 9,000 upvotes.

“Already on it. This sub has taught me a lot. I’m getting legal help. Time today was spent in the hospital and getting medicines. But I am in touch with a lawyer,” the OP replied.

U/vashthestampede121 wrote, “Yeah f**k that guy and that job. Hope you get some good $ out of the situation and that your leg is okay.”

“Absolutely any time you are bitten by an animal you don’t know, you need to go to the hospital immediately for a rabies shot. If you wait too long, rabies ABSOLUTELY will kill you there’s no cure, and animals can pass it on before they start showing any kind of symptoms. Good on you for leaving, absolutely sue,” u/AcanthaceaeDistinct explained.