Some Colleagues Need To Be Surgically Removed

(I’m in my early 20s and the youngest person in my office. One of my coworkers has a huge problem with that and looks for any reason to complain about me, even though he’s barely ten years older.)

Coworker: “You’re leaving early again?”

Me: “Sorry, doctor’s appointment. My part of the spreadsheet’s done though.”

Coworker: “Ugh, I keep having to do the closing duties myself because you keep leaving early. I told [Boss] we shouldn’t have hired someone so young. I wanted to leave early today.”

Me: “Uh… I don’t have the combination for the safe, so you’d be doing that yourself anyway. I keep leaving for a reason; I promise. I’ll be here tomorrow; you can leave early then if the boss says it’s okay.”

Coworker: “You know, if you don’t want to work, why did you even take this job? There are plenty of people who’d want it and would actually WORK the posted hours.”

(Irritated, I just leave and tell our boss about it the next day. He assures me he’ll speak to my coworker about it. Lo and behold, the next time I miss a day, he’s waiting for me when I sit down.)

Coworker: “Where were you yesterday?”

Me: “At the doctor.”

Coworker: “Again? You couldn’t schedule the appointment on your day off? I wanted yesterday off too, but I had to come in because you already requested it off. I keep having to work all these hours for you. I put in to leave early all next week so you can see how it feels.”

Me: “I really don’t care, but if it bothers you so much that I miss a few days, how are you going to react next month?”

Coworker: “What’s next month?”

Me: “I have surgery scheduled. I’ll be out for a month.”

Coworker: “WHAT?! That’s why you’ve been leaving early and going to the doctor so much? Why didn’t you say anything?!”

Me: “Because it’s not really anyone’s business? Only [Boss] needed to know.”

Coworker: “I thought you were just young and lazy! Going shopping on your day off or something, or meeting with your boyfriend!”

Me: “I am lazy, just not at work. And you know I’m married, so what boyfriend? If I get all my work done and the boss says it’s okay, what does it matter if I leave early every now and then? You leave early a lot too and I never ask where you’re going.”

Coworker: “Because I’m older and it’s none of your business! I’ve been here longer; I should be the one leaving early, not you! You probably don’t even need the surgery!”

(He threw a fit to the boss the month I was out, saying I was faking, and ripped up the card my office got me. He nearly got fired for that, so now he just glares at me. At least he doesn’t talk to me anymore!)