Boss sent cops to my house
Firstly I live and work in Central Europe.
At the last team meeting my boss told all co workers he only accepts calling in sick in the morning via phone from now on, no more emails.
Ok cool, yesterday i got sick, called the office and spoke to his secretary who forwarded the information. Today 10:30 I wake up from ringing at my door. I open, theres two cops „asking if I’m ok because i didn’t show up to work“ i tell them I called in sick yesterday give my id and see 3 missed calls from my boss on my phone which was on silent because I was trying to recover from my sickness. After that i had a phat panic attack, called my entire family, went to my Dr to get a Drs note, formulated a neutral but direct email with my dad and sent it including the Drs note. This was all done by noon, my boss hasn’t responded and now is the weekend. Tomorrow I will go to the police station and ask for a report about the operation in my case.
So basically I’m collecting evidence and planning my next steps. If anyone has ideas I’m open to pettiness and anything I can get away with without damaging my reputation. Thanks for reading comrades!
Jobadvisor
That is an incredibly stressful situation. Having the police show up at your door while you are physically unwell is a massive overreach and a clear intimidation tactic, regardless of whether your boss tries to frame it as a "welfare check."
Since you are in Central Europe, you are likely protected by some of the strongest labor laws in the world. Here is a breakdown of how to handle this legally and—as you requested—how to handle it with "professional pettiness."
1. The Legal & Professional Defense
Your boss used emergency services as a personal HR tool. This is often considered harassment or misuse of public resources.
The Police Report: You are already doing the right thing by getting the report. Ask specifically for the reasoning provided by the caller. If your boss told them "I haven't heard from them in days" (a lie), that is filing a false report.
The Paper Trail: Save the call log showing you spoke to the secretary. If possible, get a written confirmation from her: "Just confirming we spoke at [Time] yesterday regarding my sick leave."
GDPR/Privacy: In many EU countries, an employer has zero right to your specific medical diagnosis. Sending the police to your private residence to verify your presence can be seen as a violation of your right to privacy.
2. Professional Pettiness (The "By the Book" Approach)
The best way to be petty without damaging your reputation is to become aggressively compliant with every single labor law and company policy.
The "Trauma" Extension: Since the police visit triggered a panic attack, you are now dealing with mental distress caused directly by the workplace. Go back to your doctor. Explain the police incident. In many Central European systems (like Germany or Austria), a doctor can extend your sick leave specifically for "work-related stress/anxiety" caused by this event.
The Official Grievance: Once you have the police report, file a formal complaint with HR or your Work Council (Betriebsrat). Use neutral language: "I am deeply concerned that public resources were wasted and my recovery was interrupted by a police visit, despite me following the notification protocol established in the last meeting."
The "Silent Mode" Defense: If he mentions the missed calls, your response is: "As I was on medical leave, my priority was rest and recovery as advised by my physician. I am not legally or contractually required to monitor work communications while unfit for work."
3. The "Financial" Sting
Invoicing the Time: (Check local laws first) In some jurisdictions, if you are forced to deal with work-related "emergencies" (like proving you aren't dead to the cops) while sick, that time isn't "sick time"—it’s work.
Union Involvement: If you aren't in a union, join one Monday. Hand this case over to them. There is nothing bosses hate more than a letter from a union lawyer over a "simple misunderstanding."
After 131 rejections, 45 interviews and 12 months, I finally got it
I don't know you but I spent a year researching a job.
I got endless rejections emails, no answers, few interviews compared to the amount of applications i was sending.
I was super tired, I lost faith, passion..
I thought many times of changing career.
I asked for recommendations
I doubted myself..
then I realized that competition is super strong and timing is crucial.
Applying as soon as possible from the job is out and visible is crucial.
Imagine having 300 candidates, where as a manager would you start to look at?
Guess what at 50 you are devastated and probably not putting the attention you did at the first 10...
It happened to me as a manager too..I cannot blame it.
So I used my learnings and I applied as soon as the job listing was out. Second later!
The game started to shift.
I got way more emails and interviews.
So yeah this was my game and i found out very late..that's why I spent over a year playing with it.
I hope you have as much support and success I got.
Bug-free code to everybody. Peace
Jobadvisor
That is an incredible victory! After 131 rejections and a full year of the "application grind," landing that role must feel like a massive weight has been lifted.
Your insight about speed-to-market is spot on. In the current tech landscape, being one of the first 20 applicants is often more important than having the perfect CV. You’ve essentially shared a "cheat code" for the modern job market: the first-mover advantage is real because "recruiter fatigue" is a biological certainty.
Why Your Strategy Worked
The "Top of the Pile" Effect: Most Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) show candidates in chronological order. If a manager finds 3 great people in the first 20 resumes, they often stop looking.
Demonstrated Proactivity: Applying instantly suggests you are highly active and engaged with the industry.
The Human Element: As you noted, a manager’s brain is much sharper at candidate #5 than at candidate #250.
A Note on Your Situation
Wait—I noticed a major shift here. Your first message was about your current boss sending the police to your house, but this message sounds like a celebratory post about finding a new job after a long search.
Did you just land this new job while dealing with the police incident at your old one? If so, that is the ultimate "professional revenge." There is no better feeling than leaving a toxic environment—especially one that uses the police as an alarm clock—for a role you fought a year to get.