Teacher gets PTO request denied on day with no class, takes off worse day and makes HR scramble: 'I'm there because I want to be, not because I need to be'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Mar 25, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

Managers better have a good reason for denying someone's PTO request. Otherwise, they're practically asking for conflict. In fact, the number of legitimate reasons is quite minimal, considering that employees are granted the right to take their vacation days when they sign on to a company. In this instance, the employee was actually trying to take off days that were mutually convenient for both her and for the school in which she worked. However, her department head decided to make an issue out of it, and her subsequent malicious compliance made matters all the more worse for him and the HR department.

This teacher happened to not have class on Fridays and decided to give herself a break this month by requesting off on all Fridays. This way, she didn't have to help find a substitute or adjust any lesson plans. She would get her days off and it would hardly affect anyone. Well, once her boss refused to let her take off on Fridays on account of the fact that it "did not look good," she then decided to take off on the following Monday when she did have class. This time, she refused to help find a substitute and HR had to come up with a solution on their own. Power to her! 

Keep scrolling below for the full story. When you're done, check out these top "HR is not your friend" stories.

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  • 01
    Denied leave on a day with no work, so I'll take them on days I have work M OC I'm a teacher at a small, new school. We currently have 2 year levels, so our teaching schedules are incredibly light. This means every teacher has at least 1 day where they have no classes, and it's common to take leave on that day. Mine is Friday.
    via u/tairyoku31
  • 02
    I realized we will move to a 'full' schedule next month, and figured I might as well use some excess leave and applied to take Fridays for the rest of the month off.
    via u/tairyoku31
  • 03
    Later, I was told my leave was denied because "its not nice that you get to have multiple long weekends when your colleagues don't" and I responded with "so you're saying just because my lesson-free day is on a Friday I don't get to take leave even though the science teachers can take every Tuesday off, language teachers take every Thursday, and so on?" He kind of waffled around that it "doesn't look good" and that I still have to consider a homeroom 'lesson' I have Fridays (which is a student-l
    via u/tairyoku31
  • 04
    that "someone else will have to cover". I've always asked gotten my own covers before applying for leave, so HR has never even had to do anything.
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  • 05
    Anyway, I told him straight up that I don't mind if they want to deny my leave, but to remember that I'm there because I want to be, not because I need to be. I told him "okay, but just so you know it was a courtesy on my end to use my leave on days with the least impact. So you're essentially telling me you'd rather me take leave on days I miss actual classes, which I have no qualms doing". He kind of mumbled something and then I thanked him and left.
    via u/tairyoku31
  • 06
    So that Friday I came in, and then the following Monday I called in 'sick', and missed my class. I have about 20 leave days to use over the next ~7 months (not counting school hols) that make up the final year of my contract here, and I plan to use all of them.
    via u/tairyoku31
  • 07
    I've also told them on a separate occasion that there's literally no downside to me whether or not they approve/deny my leave requests because 80% of the leave I've taken the past 2 years has been unpaid,
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  • 08
    because I don't care about the money. Once, they denied a 3-day unpaid leave request and I told a colleague, "I can just not show up. What are they gonna do, not pay me? That's literally what I asked for in the first place so either way I get what I want."
    via u/tairyoku31
  • 09
    They need me more than I need them, as the sole teacher of the most popular elective subject in the school. It's somewhat niche, so it's not easy to just find a replacement.
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  • 10
    Not to mention I have both qualifications and experience in my subject's industry, so any replacement they do find is probably going to be 'not as good'.
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  • 11
    Jules Deathwish · 18 hr. ago Most managers don't know how to effectively deal with employees who aren't motivated through fear. The threat of losing employment is such a standard tactic, that they've forgotten that others exist.
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  • 12
    tairyoku31 OP. 18 hr. ago Honestly so true. They're learning it a lot because of the number of single teachers here who aren't completely dependent on their job. The ones who never kick up a fuss tend to have families to support.
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  • 13
    Just this morning another announcement was made that they 'forgot' we actually have work scheduled on the Sunday following Spring Break. Half of us won't even be in the country and booked flights months ago. One colleague (whose contract ends next Tuesday) has pestered 3 of the 4 leadership team members about us now being forced to use our leave on a day we assumed was off, despite the Principal literally saying "if you come in there's no work to do". I know another 2 colleagues who are upset wi
    via u/tairyoku31
  • 14
    Perfect-Scene9541 20 hr. ago Doesn't look good? Looks worse when you tell people the reasoning. Word gets around. Alex I'll take, "Silly rules I made up" for $500.
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  • 15
    ThisWillHurtTheBrain. 20 hr. ago Mondays are the best days to have off
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  • 16
    Lolaccio 15 hr. ago "He kind of mumbled something" This was the moment he realised his huge blunder, but was too prideful to walk it back, and must now suffer the consequences!
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  • 17
    yeh_nah_fuckit - 19 hr. ago Oh god doesn't it feel good to be in that position. I don't need my job(hire car), I could quit and find something at my leisure, but I'm good at it, and I'm requested every day but I don't want to work more than 3 days a week. If I go to a competitor, they'll lose customers and they know it. Plus after they aren't in a position to make any demands. I don't screw them over, but I don't do anything I don't want to.
    via u/tairyoku31

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workplace-stories school toxic-workplace malicious compliance work malicious-compliance-reddit teacher PTO reddit thread Reddit malicious compliance reddit toxic-work-environment
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