'You owe them zip': Employee sends biting reply to boss who withheld PTO payout

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Mar 9, 2024 8:00 PM EST

When you leave a job, you do the best you can to tie things in a nice bow for your employers, if it was a nice working relationship. But the reality is, you don't really owe them anything other than 2 week's notice and a little courtesy. Everything else is extra. It's certainly not a time to air out all the grievances that you were bottling up over the course of your employment, and that goes for both sides. 

Sure, you might have a long list of ways you have felt slighted by your employer, and vice versa. We all imagine that moment when we read out an epic speech telling off our horrible boss, drop the mic and walk out forever. But the truth is, that stuff is probably best left to the movies. It's nice to have a good reference. But that's why we have Reddit, to live vicariously through other people's quitting stories. 

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  • 01
    r/jobs u/m00syg00sy • 1d Wanted to get other's opinion Leaving a job Join
    via u/m00syg00sy
  • 02
    2 Okay Mon, Feb 12 at 7:02 AM I'd like to talk to you at some point today if possible Today 5:41 PM Hi did not think it was fair to you to leave my feelings unsaid. I really wish I had been here on Thursday for your last day but that could not be helped. I was disappointed that your quality of work suffered during your notice and to hear about some of the conversation you were having at the end. I was even more disappointed to learn that you cleaned your desk up at lunch, did very little after,
    via u/m00syg00sy
  • 03
    > 3 + 7:06 PM I'm not really sure what you're referring to when you say the quality of my work suffered during my notice. I did nothing different than I was doing beforehand. And I cleaned my desk at 3 and left at 4:30. I cleaned my desk because the main thing I had left for the day was polishing, which was not at my desk. I also finished two more dentures and did a reline in that time as well. I had done everything for Monday and some for Tuesday so I felt that I wasn't leaving a stressful amou
    via u/m00syg00sy
  • 04
    > 3 + understand how you hurt people sometimes if you really wanna strong arm me and keep me from my PTO again, that's fine. I'm not going to do anything about it. but just so it's clear between us, I never thought you would treat me like that. All News iMessage All News Videos Images An employer is required to pay accrued vacation leave upon separation from employment if the employer's established policy or employment contract is silent on the matter. NC Statute 95-25.12; NC Admin. Shopping htt
    via u/m00syg00sy
  • 05
    Just left my first full time job for good. I started when I was 19 and naive and as i've gotten older (24 now) I just could no longer deal with a lot of the stuff I was putting up with. I had left once before for about 6 months and then came back (always with the understanding that i'd be coming back). After I quit this time my old boss texted me this. Any opinions on this?
    via u/m00syg00sy
  • 06
    windol1. 1d Just reading that message makes me think they purposely wanted to get a rise out of you, I'm assuming they were quite the toxic person because all of what they said was clearly negative attacks.
    via u/windol1
  • 07
    m00syg00sy OP • 1d that's what i'm saying like what was even the point of contacting me after i'm not an employee anymore other than to throw negative comments at me? it almost felt like they were just trying to come up with a reason not to pay out the pto. I know it's pretty obvious that they're a jerk but i've been really hard on myself bc of this. I'm naturally quite self deprecating so to have the validation that i'm not crazy here is nice lol thank you.
    via u/m00syg00sy
  • 08
    Used Kaleidoscope534 23h You owe them zip. Congrats. (Observe, don't absorb).
    via u/Used_Kaleidoscope534
  • 09
    ummmmmyup • 23h You shouldn't have said you wouldn't do anything if they didn't pay you your accrued PTO. If it's illegal, it's illegal and you have the right to demand for it. Now you just gave them consent to rob you. But I'm sorry you're in this toxic situation to begin with
    via u/ummmmmyup
  • 10
    m00syg00sy OP • 23h i'm realizing that after seeing the support from people in the thread. I'm naturally quite self deprecating so there was still that little voice saying "am I the here?" but I really don't want this to happen to anyone else. i'm gonna try and file something with my state's Dept of Labor
    via u/m00syg00sy
  • 11
    RuskiesInTheWarRoom • 20h You saying you have no intention of doing anything about it is just what you said. You are absolutely in your rights to reconsider. And you should. If employees let employers get away with that, future employees will be harmed by it as well.
    via u/RuskiesInTheWarRoom
  • 12
    DiscoNapChampion • 1d Your biggest mistake here is engaging in drama unrelated to the matter at hand, and then allowing them to rob you. In the future stick only to the facts and be assertive in fighting for your PTO. "I appreciate having you there on my last day would have been preferred as some of the details you've stated are incorrect. I cleaned my desk out at... I trust I will be paid for the full day's work as well as my outstanding PTO balance, as is required by state law within [days]"
    via u/DiscoNapChampion
  • 13
    m00syg00sy OP • 1d this is good advice thank you.
    via u/m00syg00sy
  • 14
    xKittyKattxx. 1d I think you handled this pretty well. The fact that they even said everything they did tells me they're salty that you decided to leave. I'm glad you stood up for yourself and called your boss out when he/she tried to act like you did the bare minimum, hindered your fellow coworkers, and didn't think you deserved PTO. It sounds to me like you're better off without them. I wish you luck in your next career move.
    via u/xKittyKattxx
  • 15
    Accomplished_Emu_658 1d ● Don't ever tell them you won't do anything about it. They owe you and you are giving them an out. I had to threaten to contact labor board in my state to get mine honestly. Not that they weren't willing to pay it, but it was excuse after excuse every week. Suddenly I said that and I got a check immediately. You stopped working at 3pm your last day? That is pretty good. Most don't do much their last day at all. One of my Last job I left I stopped working specifically fir
    via u/Accomplished_Emu_658
  • 16
    Ballsack1Mcgee. 1d Welcome to the workforce. Where no one is your friend and all your co-workers are trying to backstab you and climb over your rotten corpse
    via u/Ballsack1Mcgee
  • 17
    m00syg00sy OP • 1d The realization that everyone was more than likely talking all the about me after I left was a hard pill to swallow but it's just one of those lessons you gotta learn
    via u/m00syg00sy
  • 18
    Slorgasm 23h Do not let them take your PTO! They will keep doing this to others!
    via u/Slorgasm
  • 19
    evilbean071d I'm pretty sure in CA you get to cash out that PTO...
    via u/evilbean07
  • 20
    ktappe • 23h Don't say that it's fine if they keep your PTO. It's illegal, God . Get angry, will you? If they don't pay out report them to the department of labor. But the problem you have now is that you've told them in your text that it's OK for them not to pay you. They could use that against you in your claim. Don't ever hand a weapon to your enemy.
    via u/ktappe
  • 21
    m00syg00sy OP • 23h i've realized this through all the people's support in this thread. like I said, this was my first full time job and I live in a rural area so the culture tends to lean very conservative. not making excuses but you kinda have to learn your own resources when you're the little guy around here. i'm certainly going to do something.
    via u/m00syg00sy

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