'I'm at a loss for words': Company asks employees to 'donate' PTO to cover loyal worker's leave

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Mar 2, 2024 8:00 PM EST

Let me be the first to say it, the labor landscape is rough right now. Employers are complaining that "nobody wants to work" while employees are fed up with low pay and a lack of benefits. If you have a job that you like and it pays you a satisfactory wage, then you're one of the lucky ones. Everyone needs a job to survive (well, most of us), and we're lucky if we find something doable and non-soul-crushing that pays the bills. And the great thing about work is that we get time off. Those hours are precious, and we usually work pretty hard to earn them. 

Paid time off days are as good as gold. That's why this recent Reddit story felt like such a slap in the face. The company giveth, and then the company taketh away. Be glad that you don't work wherever this poor soul does. 

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  • 01
    r/antiwork u/Wolfslash16 11h My buddy got this email from his work. Tasteless.
    via u/Wolfslash16
  • 02
    CH Dear To and Team, All Employees LEAVE DONATION REQUEST FORM PDF - 147 KB 7:48 PM ! Currently we have a long-term employee, 28 years dedicated, who has recently had a medical issue causing her to miss many weeks of work. From time-to-time will hold a PTO Donation Campaign when we have a team member who needs some assistance. HR is asking you to consider donating some PTO time to our team member to make her recovery less stressful and hopefully allow her to focus on her ability to return to wor
    via u/Wolfslash16
  • 03
    Machuck94. 11h Here an idea, after 28 years of service the company could tell the employee "hey, you have been so dedicated to us, and we are your to take care of you in your time of need". Of course not, they go to their wage slaves to guilt trip them into giving up their PTO. Shameful.
    via u/Machuck94
  • 04
    PCBumblebee • 9h My mum's company did this. She had breast cancer. Not only did they carry on paying her throughout her treatment, they got the sales people to take turns giving her a lift from London to Guildford for her treatment.
    via u/PCBumblebee
  • 05
    StopFalseReporting. 10h I wish laws were changed so if you had a medical reason to miss work they were required to pay you. Until laws are changed these companies will not behave ethically on their own
    via u/StopFalseReporting
  • 06
    noro_gre 9h ACT YOUR WAGE ● Brazilian labor law has this rule, and even makes it illegal to fire an employee while they are on medical leave without a just cause If the employee does not recover and can't go back to work, they retire early and will earn a pension until they become fit to go back to work I've seen how much these things help keep people on their feet, with food on their table and dignity even in their worst moments It is extremely expensive for the companies and government, but it
    via u/noro_gre
  • 07
    MarlaHikes 9h ● 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I'm an operations manager in the investment industry, basically running the office and making sure all compliance is followed. My boss immediately assigned someone to be my "vice president" - his term for her. He told me to put myself first and do what I needed to do. I had to go through chemo twice and was also out for 8 weeks after surgery. I was probably out for at least 4 months total that year. The following year I discovered
    via u/MarlaHikes
  • 08
    ticapnews 10h ● Imagine if we lived in a country where people didn't have to donate their PTO to a sick colleague...
    via u/ticapnews
  • 09
    Additional_Earth3715. 10h Most of us do.
    via u/Additional_Earth3715
  • 10
    Duuudechill. 9h idle I'm at a loss for words.Literally felt my heart skip a few beats reading this. Not only do I feel this is legal and it shouldn't be legal but I'm also just wondering after working so many hours to earn that pto time how many people who need that time will give that time up? The person on medical leave has rights but the company wants to put coworkers against each to not help out a "dedicated" employee. 28 solid friggin years of her life to those scumbags and they can't even
    via u/Duuudechill
  • 11
    -Cyst- . 11h That's repulsive.
    via u/-Cyst-
  • 12
    scotty_puff_jr • 9h For the price of one first-class plane ticket, an upper-level exec could cover several weeks of PTO for this employee and buy themselves a decent chunk of goodwill in the process. Surely that's a trivial sacrifice when a member of the "family" has an accident, right?
    via u/scotty_puff_jr
  • 13
    Physical-Purple-1265 • 10h This is so American lol..
    via u/Physical-Purple-1265
  • 14
    noro_gre 9h ACT YOUR WAGE ● That's why I always say: if they wanted loyalty, they should adopt a dog. And even the dog needs to be fed and looked after The company is not loyal to you. Why should you be loyal to them?
    via u/noro_gre
  • 15
    Imaginary_Relative • 9h This is gross. Also I would have reported this as a phishing attempt.
    via u/Imaginary_Relative
  • 16
    Green Plastic WaterCan. 8h The number of Americans in here that are so brainwashed that they think this is ok.... What the actual... You really think senoir management is going to donate anything? Donating a combined day's worth of pay from the C-suite would probably cover this employee for the year. But let's make the employees pay for it.
    via u/GreenPlasticWaterCan
  • 17
    Nightshader5877 • 9h Nah. My PTO is MY PTO. Gotta take care of myself here, and if they want, they could ask their ceo or big boss if they can donate.
    via u/Nightshader5877

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antiwork workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace terrible-bosses work toxic-boss PTO workplace Horrible Bosses bad bosses company paid time off toxic-work-environment
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