'My vacation time for my sister's wedding was denied': Man questions whether or not he should quit over rejected PTO

Author image for Stephanie Harper
Stephanie Harper
Aug 15, 2023 7:00 AM EDT

Being in attendance at a family member's wedding is beyond important. Weddings are significant and should be treated as such. A Redditor named 
u/OfficerJayWalker shared a cringe-worthy story online about the way his job is handling his PTO request. He's the type of worker who goes above and beyond for his company. 

He's been loyal to his security job for seven years! As a single parent, he's always taken his work responsibilities seriously. He claims, "I show up on time, I wear my uniform, I do my job with professionalism, I do overtime when I can, and I am more knowledgeable about this place than a majority of our guards." 

Despite what a good worker he's consistently been, his PTO request to attend his sister's wedding was still denied. Now he's trying to figure out what his next move should be. Should he quit the job ahead of time because they're being unreasonable? Should he wait until the day of his sister's wedding to drop the bomb that he's done? He put in the request for time off two and a half weeks early, which should have been more than enough time for his management team to find coverage. Instead of working with him, he's now tempted to get out of there altogether.

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  • 01
    Shoe - "Should I quit on the day [of] my sister's wedding?"
    via Pixabay
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/OfficerJayWalker 9 hours ago My Vacation Time For My Sister's Wedding Was Denied
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
  • 03
    Font - I've been with the same security company for 7 years. The pay sucks, the benefits are terrible, and if you even THINK the word "union" you'll get fired. Honestly, I've been looking at other job opportunities for a few months now, and I'm going to update my resume either tonight or tomorrow. I was thinking about how tight money is last Friday because
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
  • 04
    Font - I'm a single parent, and my wages just aren't cuttin' it. I had hoped to get my foot in the door somewhere else before leaving this place, but when I got in to work tonight I had an email that said my vacation time request was denied. I asked for 6 days off at the end of the month, and I don't request time off very often; pretty much only once a year. Also, I
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
  • 05
    Font - requested the vacation time more than two weeks before I would need to be absent. When I saw the email, I just laughed. I am one of the best people they have. I show up on time, I wear my uniform, I do my job with professionalism, I do overtime when I can, and I am more knowledgeable
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
  • 06
    Font - about this place than a majority of our guards. We have one guy who exclusively shows up late for EVERY shift. There's also a guy who doesn't wear his uniform, and he assaulted someone ON CAMERA and wasn't fired. To say that the bar is low for our employees is an understatement. I wouldn't call myself an over achiever by any stretch, but I do
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
  • 07
    Font - more than the bare minimum and people like to work with me. So with all that said, I'm going to talk to my supervisor in the morning when he shows up late to work as usual, and I'm going to ask about my time off request. If it has in fact been denied, should I quit right then and there? Or should I quit on the day
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
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    Font - that I'm meant to leave for my sister's wedding? Edit: I just want to clarify that I put in my time off request two and a half weeks prior to the wedding. I recognize that it isn't a lot of notice for a week of PTO, but when I've submitted time off requests in the past that were a month in advance or
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
  • 09
    Font - more, those requests got "lost." My superiors are very disorganized. The supervisor that I intend to talk to is new to this site, and he's already working on sewing seeds of discent among employees, so I don't think this will go very well. Unfortunately, he's the guy I HAVE to talk to. I am hopeful, but I'm going to be very
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
  • 10
    Font - clear that I AM taking the time off. I just wasn't sure if I should just quit right away or wait until the day my flight leaves. Should I get fired, they're shooting themselves in the foot. I've been working as the shift lead for the last month because my usual shift lead broke his hand. He can't do reports for at least a couple more weeks, so I've been doing all of
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
  • 11
    Font - it since I'm trained and capable. They still haven't compensated me for the extra work that I'm doing, but that's a whole other mess... In the past, when I took time off, they did not find anyone to cover my shift. My shift lead worked alone. Alternatively, when he takes vacation time, I work alone. They don't bother covering the graveyard shifts.
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
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    Organism - Anyway, thank you everyone for your comments, encouragement, and the humor! 2 people typing... ro 142 Comments ●●●
    via u/OfficerJayWalker
  • 13
    Font - Fleebledargen. 7 hr. ago No call, no show on the day of the flight 765 Reply Share ●●● OfficerJayWalker OP. 7 hr. ago As much as I would like a good recommendation from my bosses... I kind of want to do just that. Lol
    via u/fleebledargen, u/OfficerJayWalker
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    Font - Hwxnxtzero10 3 hr. ago Your probably not going to get a good recommendation from your boss either way 333 Reply Share
    via u/hwxnxtzero10
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    Font - Alltheweed 1 hr. ago I don't understand why this is so hard to figure out. The manager is a moron and will probably get told off for this. Talk to the highest up boss you can and if they deny your request then tell them your last day will be before the wedding. Vote Reply Share
    via u/Alltheweed
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    Font - Historical-Spirit-48 32 min. ago ● Legally not showing up for the days is considered job abandonment. It's exactly the same as quiting. So OP might as well give them the Ultimatum. Vote Reply Share
    via u/Historical-Spirit-48
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    Font - · Zenn1nja 4 min. ago Both of my bosses have been managers for over 10 years at various companies and one can count the number of calls they've gotten about recommending a old employee on their fingers and the other has never gotten a call.
    via u/Zenn1nja
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    Font - cbass717 3 hr. ago Dude don't consider missing your sisters wedding for a job. It will never be worth it. ↑ Vote Reply Share
    via u/cbass717
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    Font - ithinkitmightbe 2 hr. ago . There's no law that says you can't use a friend as your reference. Just get them to say they were your supervisor. Vote Reply Share
    via u/ithinkitmightbe
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    Rectangle - cards_masta_flex. 1 hr. ago Yep... my wife was my boss once.... and I wasn't even lying... just misleading. Vote Reply Share
    via u/cards_masta_flex
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    Font - TIL msharris87062 hr. ago Vacation requests aren't requests. They're notifications of absence. Treat it as such. Let your supervisor know this. Tell them that this is not a vacation request as much as they would like it to be, these
    via u/msharris87062
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    Font - are your hours given to you whatever per contract/code/rulebook, and you will be taking them those days. It's his job to make sure he has people there to cover for that. Vote Reply Share
    via u/msharris87062
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    Font - Any_Coyote66622 hr. ago If they deny the request after you talk to them, simply tell them you are going to your sister's wedding. This is their decision to make. If they would rather fire you than give you time off, that's their decision. All you are doing is taking some days off.
    via u/Any_Coyote66622
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    Font - MeanandEvil82. 1 hr. ago "I wasn't requesting the time off, I was informing you I won't be in. What you do with that information is up to you, but you might want to get cover for those 6 days". Reply Share Vote
    via u/MeanandEvil82
  • 25
    Font - TheHungryBlanket 39 min. ago . I'm not requesting the time off. I'm letting you know I will not be working these days as a courtesy so you have plenty of time to find coverage.
    via u/TheHungryBlanket
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    Font - If they say you have to work, just repeat the line again. Eventually they'll give in or threaten to fire you. Then you respond not with anger, just with something simple that says it is their decision to make, but reiterate you will be out of contact for (insert days). Vote Reply Share
    via u/TheHungryBlanket
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    Font - Emotional-Ebb8321 20 min. ago No call, no show on the day of the flight Better yet call in and tell them you're running late. Vote Reply Share
    via u/Emotional-Ebb8321
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    Font - Lynch_67816653- 5 hr. ago I am going on this holiday, of which I notified the company with reasonable advance. Let me know if I should expect issues on the day I come back. 172 Reply Share
    via u/Lynch_67816653
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    Font - alec_eiffel 3 hr. ago ● Exactly, you're not asking to be allowed the time off, you're just providing them with advance warning you won't be there. Reply Share Vote
    via u/alec_eiffel

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