'Reschedule your vacation': Boss rejects employee's previously approved PTO, using marital status and lack of a family as an excuse

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
May 19, 2024 8:00 AM EDT

Some bosses think that they have certain rights and privileges that they simply do not possess.

This employee was entitled to their PTO time, they submitted their request months in advance, and their request was approved. Everything was good to go, flights were booked, and a much-needed vacation was planned. That is, until the boss decided last minute that he could reject those plans and go back on his word, all so another coworker could take off that same week. We understand losing two employees in a 7-person company is significant, but it's on the boss to make contingency plans, not the employees. 

The worst part was that the boss's horrible excuse for letting the coworker take off that week instead was that he had family commitments. This implies that this employee's status as a divorced person with no children makes his need for a vacation less legitimate. Of course, folks in the comments were quick to push the Redditor to quit entirely, which is not something every employee is in the financial position to just do spontaneously. Still, we hope that this guy can stand his ground and pick apart his boss's argument.

Keep scrolling below for the full story. For more, check out this post about a company that made an offer and then forced the applicant to interview again.

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  • 01
    "My boss canceled my vacation" Sew York City
    via S'well
  • 02
    My boss cancelled my vacation so my co-worker could have that week off instead
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 03
    I scheduled a week off in June 3 months ago. It was on the PTO calendar. My boss came out today and cancelled my vacation because another co-worker asked for it off the day before. I was told "he needs time off for his anniversary to spend time with his family, you are divorced, and have no kids, reschedule your vacation."
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 04
    I had plans, but me right? I've only worked here for 20 years.
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 05
    edit: I appreciate all the advice, but I'm not quitting over this. I make good money and I have bulletproof job security. Johnny Paycheck didn't actually even quit that job in that song.
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 06
    bdayqueen 21 hr. ago Tell your boss you're taking your vacation as planned and he can cover for the other employee. I'd start polishing up my resume if I were you.
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 07
    charlatan_red 17 hr. ago That sounds great, but unless OP can survive being fired immediately, I wouldn't recommend taking that approach. It's not fair, and OP could try to push back a bit, but the power is entirely in the boss's hands right now, and losing a job when you're unprepared for it isn't the way to go.
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 08
    Winter_Dragonfly_452. 22 hr. ago Oh, no they can't do that. Do you have an HR department because you need to go straight to that HR department. Just because those of us that have kids want to take time off does not mean our vacations can just be canceled for people that do have kids. That is illegal as
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 09
    ThatOneDudeFromIowa OP 22 hr. ago |HR LOL no. Very small company. 7 employees!
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 10
    DubiousPeoplePleaser. 21 hr. ago "Well I guess you're going to have to cover his workload then because I'm taking that vacation. I've had it booked for three months, have the plane tickets and the hotel booked and won't take that loss just because you're playing favorites." Then start sending out job applications. You could be the best worker he has, and he will still not reward you for it.
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 11
    JayRemmey627 - 21 hr. ago Tell him "Daaaannnng so your gonna be down two people? How crazy!"
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 12
    virtualchoirboy · 22 hr. ago You know what this means, right? Time for a new job. Separately, depending on what state you live in, marital status might be a "protected class" in terms of discrimination. It is in my state. That could make the cancelling of your PTO for the stated reason a discriminatory act but a lawyer would know for sure. Start with a quick search of is marital status a protected class in [state]
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 13
    EmbracingTheWorld 20 hr. ago I hate that mentality that just because we are single, childless, young etc. that we have all this free time. Like no, because you decided to have kids, married etc., does not make your life more important than mine. Take your vacation, go have fun! Then tell him to off.
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 14
    RDUppercut 20 hr. ago Stand up for yourself and go on your vacation as planned. And understand that it's past time you started looking for a new job. If that's how they view you after 20 years, it's fine to go.
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 15
    oaksandpines1776. 19 hr. ago Tell boss you have nonrefundable plans. You expect $20000 within 24 hours to cover your losses and the losses and inconvenience of everyone in your travel group. Or else he can plan on two employees being absent. The other employee did not care to make plans but you did, so obviously his anniversary is not important to him. Then start putting in job applications elsewhere.
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 16
    Unlikely_Mail_5845 - 20 hr. ago Since he knows you are divorced with no kids. He should also know you got nothing to lose by standing your ground. Time to make him very aware of this.
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa
  • 17
    arachnikon 18 hr. ago I had this happen once. I had scheduled vacation 10 months in advance. The week before it was coming up the boss called me into the office with another employee to tell me that I wasn't going to get vacation, because the other employee didn't want to cover my shift. Looked right at the other employee and said really? You're gonna be a ? Ok have fun working that time AND the following week you have booked off, cuz I quit. And I did. Ran into the guy years later and he was st
    via u/ThatOneDudeFromIowa

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