Coworker Refuses Cover Shift After AC Drama Makes Her Sick
The Original Post
I (24F) work in a small office where weāre constantly short-staffed. One of my coworkers (29M) is notorious for blasting the AC year-round, even in winter, despite multiple people asking him to stop because it makes them sick. Management hasnāt really enforced any rules about it.
Last week, he turned the AC on full blast during a cold snap. I ended up getting really sick, fever, sore throat.
Now hereās the issue: while I was out sick, he asked me if I could cover his shift this weekend because he āreally needs a breakā and has plans he doesnāt want to cancel. I said no and pointed out that I wouldnāt even be sick if he hadnāt cranked the AC after everyone asked him not to. He got defensive and said I was being petty and that getting sick āisnāt his fault.ā
So AITA For Saying No?
What Reddit Said
Reddit was split on this workplace drama. Most users agreed the coworker was wrong to ask someone who’s sick to cover his shift. However, they called out OP for blaming her illness on the air conditioning.
The top comments focused on basic science. Cold air doesn’t cause viral infections – bacteria and viruses do. Therefore, while the AC situation is annoying, it didn’t directly make OP sick. Moreover, many pointed out this should be handled through HR rather than personal confrontations.
The Verdict
The consensus leaned toward ESH (Everyone Sucks Here) rather than a clear NTA. While OP was right to refuse covering the shift when sick, blaming the coworker for her illness undermined her position. This is a classic case of workplace drama where poor management created the perfect storm for conflict. The real villain here is management for not addressing the office temperature disputes properly.
Original post from r/AmItheAsshole (1,329 upvotes, 227 comments)