'Win win for [me], not the company': Consultant finagles freebee PTO days when manager insist they work on impossible days

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    Computer
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    Font - I can't take time off? Not an issue S OC It's been a long time since this happened so I don't remember the details. Standard on my phone so apologies for any mistakes
  • 03
    Font - I was working at a consulting company during covid and needed to travel outside the country to visit my family. Anyone who wants to argue traveling during covid with me, you're welcome to stop reading.
  • 04
    Font - Since I was going to visit family I asked for some time off which was approved and I booked my flights. 3 days before my time off started, my manager asked me to cancel my request and work as they need the help. I naturally said no because I had tickets booked to travel.
  • 05
    Font - Now an important detail is that most of the clients of this company had clear instructions that their data must never leave the US or be worked on from outside the US. All the clients my team worked on were like this.
  • 06
    Font - My manager asked me to work remotely for a few of the days to help. I was naturally confused so reminded her that I was traveling internationally so that wouldn't work. She said to follow her instructions and not overthink this.
  • 07
    Font - My manager was a good manager and cared for her employees, but was a little ditzy. I knew it sir was asking she really needed it, but I also knew I'd get nothing done. But there was no way I could say no.
  • 08
    Font - Cue MC, I took my laptop, logged on every day, replied to emails that I could (which took maybe 15 minutes) and replied to messages on slack through the day on my phone if I could.
  • 09
    Font - 3 days in my manager asked me why I had not gotten any work done and I sent her a screenshot of the conversation and one of the rules preventing us from doing any real work outside the country. She replied saying that my time off would be approved and to resubmit
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    Font - Got told off a bit once I got back but she knew it wasn't really my fault and didn't say much Tldr: was told to work from outside the country even though I'm not allowed to access data from outside the country. Worked by replying to e-mails for 15 minutes each day
  • 11
    Product - AbleRelationship6808 9 hr. ago I hope you didn't request vacation time for when you were required to work.
  • 12
    Font - WiseReply2376 OP. 9 hr. ago Oh no I cancelled my time off request after that first conversation. Later added it again for the remaining days. Can't request it retroactively anyways so it was never a discussion or option
  • 13
    Font - trismagestus 6 hr. ago +2. Presumably because they wouldn't be doing any work on those days at all.
  • 14
    Font - They answered some emails and got those days as fully paid. Win win. (For them, not the company, which is as it should be when you ask people to work on their vacation.)
  • 15
    Font - Manannin 52 min. ago ● You shouldn't have given any holiday days back, but I can understand if you had a good relationship with work at the time you resisted the temptation. You still got a few days paid.

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