‘As you wish’: Overworked employee requests PTO for vacation and messy management threatens to fire him, so he quits and demands all PTO days be paid in his last paycheck

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Oct 11, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

Everybody needs a few days off. That's the reason why paid time off exists! If employees continue being overwhelmed with workplace tasks, their mental well-being and work output will deteriorate quite rapidly, leading to employee burnout. This is especially true for customer service positions, where employees often have to put on a false face for the sake of niceties and customer/patient comfort. If you had to smile for eight hours a day (and more if you're doing double shifts or taking advantage of some overtime), you'd be requesting some PTO for a much-needed vacation, too.

The employee in this story has been dealing with a messy company since the beginning of his employment with them. The schedules were constantly being changed, management continually begged employees to take on more hours, and the company bit off more than it could chew when it kept accepting new patients. As a result, the employee states he's worked "11 unscheduled doubles and 42 additional twelve-hour overtime shifts" in the last nine months. On top of that, he has only taken two sick days. 

You'd think that when he requested three days of PTO to finally catch a break, a month in advance, they'd accept it. False. The employee had another job on the back burner, so in knowing that he'd be employed no matter what, he quit on the spot.

Keep scrolling below to read the full story.

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    27 18 "In the past 24+ hours I've received 19 voicemails asking if I can come into work because they're short." 26 22 29
    via Unsplash (Eric Rothermel)
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    If you don't like it, you can just leave.
    via bapeery
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    I've been working with a home health agency for the better part of 9 months. I work 12 hour days with cases raging from complex to simple. In that time I've worked 11 unscheduled doubles, and
    via bapeery
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    42 additional twelve hour overtime shifts. I have used exactly 2 sick days. 1 for myself and 1 for my kid. I do not call out, I do not show up late, and I don't do the corner cutting they suggest. I take vacation time on my off days. I've
    via bapeery
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    saved them on 3 specific occasions from failing audits. I picked up so much because a) the money is nice, b) I legitimately care about the wellbeing of my patients, and c) they begged me.
    via bapeery
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    You see, the company I work for likes to take on new clients without having enough staff to cover that patient. Then, they freak out and offer bonuses for us to pick up. These are governmentally contracted jobs with big
    via bapeery
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    DOE bucks coming in. If they can't prove the patient is taken care of, they are fined heavily. Too many fines and they're. blackballed from taking new DOE clients at all.
    via bapeery
  • 08
    This company is so poorly run, it's a joke. They have 8 schedulers, but still send mass texts every single day asking us to pick up (these happen all hours of day and night). They often double book or
    via bapeery
  • 09
    randomly change schedules without informing clients or nurses. They also underpay for my area. Not much, but $4/hr is a big deal. They also won't respond to your questions, calls, or texts for days to weeks at a time.
    via bapeery
  • 10
    I've been looking around for a while and found a company that pays more, has good leadership, and they said they'd have me on the ground running closer to home if I just went through their hiring
    via bapeery
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    program. I agreed and have been an employee with them for about a month, just no hours worked yet. Back to my Malicious Compliance.
    via bapeery
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    I knew I'd be out of town for a couple of days and have 9 days worth of PTO banked. I decided to help them out and "ask" for 3 days off. I assumed that would give them enough time to fill my spot. I did this on Sept. 13. The days I
    via bapeery
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    requested are Oct. 12, 13, and 14. It's a mini vacation for my family since I worked all summer. Monday I received a nasty email about the final day for PDO requests being September 10. I let the
    via bapeery
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    manager know I was trying to help them out by giving them time to fill it. She shot back with how "selfish" of me it was to "leave her short handed". She rejected my PTO requests.
    via bapeery
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    Tuesday I showed up at the office to discuss this little frustration. I mentioned my exemplary work history and intention of making things easier for them. She slammed the table with her balled fists and said. "You will work those days. I don't care if
    via bapeery
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    you have a trip planned to Australia, you'll be there. If you don't like it, you can just leave." It was her nasty smirk that set me off. I stood up, took a mint and
    via bapeery
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    said "As you wish. I expect all my PTO to be on my next paycheck in accordance with our state's PTO laws. I hope you can fill the opening on such short notice."
    via bapeery
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    The look of horror on her face was more valuable than the PTO. In the past 24+ hours I've received 19 voicemails asking if I can come into work because they're short.
    via bapeery
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    Tonight is my first night with the new company. It ended up being $6/hr more, 48 minutes each way closer to home, and I get paid 40 hours even though I worked 36. Be careful what you wish for. You may just get it.
    via bapeery
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    shaktis... 6h ago. This is a pretty common business model, running short staffed at all times to save money. It is gruelling for the workers.
    via shaktishaker
  • 21
    Dechri_ 6h ago • . A lesson for everyone: never strech yourself for a company. You get nothing back. All they see is someone nicely exploitable.
    via Dechri_
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    Mapilean • 6h ago. From a smug smirk to a look of horror. So satisfying.
    via Mapilean
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    bap... OP 5h ago • I was going to say you have no idea, but obviously you've relished such an experience yourself. Wish I had a video of it.
    via bapeery
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    Scat_fiend • 6h ago. Why stop there? Call the clients apologizing that you will no longer be able to meet their needs as you are now working at a rival company. Call that government agency and let them know the truth about the goings on there.
    via Scat_fiend

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