IT boss insists that salaried employee has to work during vacation, employee discovers a clever way to avoid their boss: 'I won't be expected to work?'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 13, 2024 5:00 PM EST

What's the point of a vacation if you have to keep an eye on your phone the whole time? If you're anxiously awaiting a call from your boss at any minute, you're not exactly getting much time to relax and unwind. 

Disconnecting from work is so important, but a lot of managers view vacation time as some optional luxury. They seem to take it personally when their employees request time off, as if that employee is taking money from their pockets. Even though it's just their job to manage people, they get upset when someone needs a break because they'll have to work a bit extra. 

This person just wanted to take a brief vacation with their wife, and they even booked a nice trip to get away from it all. However, their boss had other plans for them. At least this employee pushed back when their boss told them that he'd need to contact them during the trip. It's infuriating when your boss calls or texts you when you're off the clock… and some managers, like this dude, think that being a salaried employee means you're available 24/7. You can't buy all of an employee's time! 

Next, read about the mildly infuriating things that toddlers are doing, like one parent who lamented that they "Made bagels… my toddler took a single bite out of each one." 

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    Cheezburger Image 10441037568
    via Hugo Villegas on Unsplash+

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    "Unless you're in the middle of nowhere you have to work during vacation, you're salary!
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 03
    I work for a small company in the trades as head of the IT department (aka the only IT person). Truthfully the gig is pretty great. Good pay, benefits and I can come and go as I please within reason. The two people I have to answer to are the VP and CEO and as is par for the course they know -all about anything to do with technology and generally leave me be as I'm good at my job and everything runs smoothly.
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 04
    Being a small company a lot of us don't take vacations due to A) building the company and B) not having replacements for the time we're gone but after two years vacationless (we're in the US) my wife convinces me to use the time I'm given to decompress and take a small, one week, get away. I talk to VP and he gives me the thumbs up to take the time barring I get everything in order and do some minor teaching to other staff incase of an emergency. Cool, easy.
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 05
    Enter FOD (Field Operations Director) a man who is an attack dog for the VP for no reason as the VP is nothing but polite and reasonable. FOD loves giving everyone a hard time, adding steps to tasks to make himself look like he's part of the process, reminding everyone how much of a "boss" he is to the rest of us in management and calling me a nerd any chance he gets. Fair to say I dislike FOD immensely -
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 06
    After making my rounds with other staff it's FODS time to do some scary computer related learning. FOD refuses to look weak under any circumstances and gets very aggressive when learning new things because "I'm the boss, I already know." In the midst of learning it dawns on him to ask why he has to learn this stuff anyway, I'm the nerd and it's
    via u/out_run_radio
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    my job to do this. I clue him in on the week I'm taking off and this stuff is just precautionary. This worries FOD as he'll have to retain information, answer questions and do some minor troubleshooting.
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 08
    The conversation went something like this, and I wish I could tell you that this guy isn't this much of a j, but he is. FOD = "boss" Me = me FOD: Who approved your vacation? Me: VP did as long as I could get you guys comfortable with some small maintenance.
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 09
    FOD: I only approve vacation time, I'm your boss. (Side note: he does THIS so much that VP actually wrote out the hierarchy in chart form and we all carry a digital copy with us to remind him who he's actually in charge of) Me: You're not. shows chart
    via u/out_run_radio
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    FOD: Well fine! But you're salary so you have to work during your vacation. You'll bring your laptop and work phone with you. Me: When YOU vacation you make it very clear you're unreachable and can't be bothered even if it's an emergency.
    via u/out_run_radio
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    FOD: That's because I go to places without service and unless you're going to the mountains you have to work! You're salary! Malicious Compliance Initiated Me: Just to be clear; if I go to a place without service I won't be expected to work, yeah?
    via u/out_run_radio
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    FOD: That's right, but you're a nerd you don't do anything outdoorsy. Me: Great, thanks for clearing that up. Fast forward 3 weeks later and it's vacation time. All my ducks are in a row, people are comfortable with me being gone for the week and are all encouraging me to just disconnect. A close coworker of mine knows of the conversation FOD and I had and asks what I plan to do to about it so I shared my easy but effective plan.
    via u/out_run_radio
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    1. wife and I rented a cabin in the woods, 2 hours from the nearest town and it doesn't have service 2. set up automatic email replies that have all IT questions and concerns forwarded to FOD since "he's the boss, he knows."
    via u/out_run_radio
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    3. leave work phone on the charger in my office with ringer on, door locked so he has to hear it and voicemail changed to have FOD become IT for the week.
    via u/out_run_radio
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    Coworker loves the idea of flooding FOD with questions he can't answer so much that he gets other coworkers in on it.
    via u/out_run_radio
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    Midway through the week I get a call from coworker with an update: FOD loses it. He can't keep up with any requests for help and didn't bother to memorize the simple tasks I showed him so he does what any good "boss" does and puts in a request to take a vacation until I get back. Retreat is always an option. Nothing screams leader more than retreat. It's not weakness and failure if he's not there!
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 17
    My coworkers were able to manage and FOD got his 3 day vacation, unfortunately. After the week off I'm called to VP's office to catch up and get things back on track. VP obviously heard of the hardships FOD faced in my absence and laughed at my MC surprisingly. VP struck a deal with
    via u/out_run_radio
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    me moving forward since it was made clear to him no one else knew how to do my job: I can go on vacation wherever I'd like as long as I bring my laptop and phone and check it once a week. They'll refund my vacation time for that day even if I only work for 5 minutes.
    via u/out_run_radio
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    I took that but with the caveat of making FOD actually learn some of my duties just in case. VP agreed. Now I do an hour of teaching a week to a very surly FOD. After all, he's "the boss" he's gotta know.
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 20
    th_blackheart Awesome. And you even ended up in a way better place than you began with, regarding your vacations.
    via u/th_blackheart
  • 21
    My_SFW_LOGIN Word of advice as one IT professional to another. If you're showing FOD parts of your job every week, once he feel's comfortable doing small tasks he's going to complain about why do they even need you. Great story though.
    via u/My_SFW_LOGIN
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    out_run_radio OP I anticipated that as which is why he gets small pieces to make him feel important while I get the satisfaction of annoying him. I appreciate the concern. nonetheless.
    via u/out_run_radio
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    grauenwolf They'll refund my vacation. time for that day even if I only work for 5 minutes. right they will. That's a serious violation of labor laws in the US.
    via u/grauenwolf
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    out_run_radio OP It makes them feel like they're doing me a favor, which they aren't but hey, I like the company and I'll compromise.
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 25
    /PLACE tasartir It is so strange that you can go for 2 years without vacation. We have 20 days and at least 2 weeks of it unbroken by law and companies give even much more. Rested people perform much better then overworked.
    via u/tasartir
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    out_run_radio OP I agree with that completely. Unfortunately not working here is seen as being lazy, especially in the construction industry. They give you the time but chastise you for using it. It's very silly. After two years I was given 10 days time. At 5 years I'll be given another 5. 15 days paid off total after 5 years served. It's exhausting.
    via u/out_run_radio
  • 27
    Eudonidano If you went somewhere without service, how did you get a call from your coworker? out_run_radio OP We went in to town at a point in the vacation. Going without technology is more maddening than we expected.
    via u/Eudonidano

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boss workplace-stories jobs job malicious compliance bosses work coworkers malicious-compliance-reddit workplace malicious compliance reddit
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