I have never heard a single employer say anything even close to that. Where did you hear that?
I see that you are in the upper-midwest. Yes, to be fair, I know from wife#1's extended family in Iowa that the employer/worker relationship is more relaxed than what we often see out West. It can get VERY hard-nosed corporate in a heartbeat out here, with Vegas employers being some of the worst.
What I described re getting sick I witnessed with a defense contractor, and it's not an uncommon comment in the hospitality industry here.
Then there are the ways the employers here can get stupid about your days off. First was a casino worker buddy who went up to Brian Head, Utah, for some snowboarding on an off day. About mid-morning his cellphone rings. Boss says, "Somebody has called out, I need you to come in and cover his shift."
My buddy, "I'd love to, but I'm in Brian Head at the moment, so even if I set off now, the shift will be half done before I get there."
Boss, "And who said you could leave town? We'll discuss this when next you're here."
My buddy thought his boss was joking. He wasn't.
Then there was my coworker's wife who had a part-time job at Pandora. They had scheduled her for four days off, so the couple decided to drive over to the Santa Barbara area to visit their son for a couple of days. Somewhere west of Bakersfield (about 300 miles from Vegas) her boss calls.
Boss, "Hi, _______ decided to quit, so I need you to come in."
My friend, "Sorry, no can do. We are past Bakersfield to stay with our son, and we have made other arrangements for the next couple of days."
Boss, clearly through clenched teeth, "But I need you to come to work."
Friend, "Sorry, no can do."
She got written up for being uncooperative and "insubordinate". Absolutely ridiculous, especially the "insubordinate" bit. This was a jewelry store, My friend was not required to cover a screen at NORAD and she certainly wasn't in the military. Throwing "insubordinate" at someone in a civilian job is a power trip that gets all the lols it deserves.