Kitchen manager accrues 25+ hours of PTO, boss denies request and refuses to let hours roll over into 2025: 'It's use it or lose it'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jan 3, 2025 8:00 AM EST

You know you're in a toxic workplace environment when your boss uses the New Year to try and pull a fast one on you. No one enjoys coming back to work after the holiday break to new, strictly enforced policies that were not put in place beforehand. These kinds of structural changes need to be introduced gradually, but instead, far too many bosses use January 2nd as an opportunity to radically change rules and expectations. 

The most significant of these structural changes, of course, would be alterations to benefits, sick days, PTO, etc. These kinds of specifics should not be messed with under any circumstances, as they are part of the package an employee agrees with when signing their contract, yet so many managers view the new year as an opportunity to make these kinds of sudden and unpredictable "adjustments."

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    via Unsplash+ (Ave Calvar)

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

  • For this kitchen manager, the adjustment in question was about whether or not the paid time off hours he had accrued would roll over into 2025. He was under the expectation based on prior years at the restaurant that they would, especially in his case, since his PTO requests toward the end of the year were frequently denied so he could train new hires. Unfortunately for him, his boss did not show any sympathy when making these policy changes. 

  • 02
    So i'm a kitchen manager at a pub. I asked for a week of back in june to burn some of my PTO and my request was rejected because there was two new people and i had to train them.
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  • Let's pause the action here to clarify that you know there is a structural problem in this restaurant if one person's employee rights have to be frequently neglected just to train new folks. Shouldn't this dude's boss be able to step in if she's the one doing the hriing?

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    via Unsplash+ (Giulia Squillace)

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

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    Then people quit and we where short staffed for the next few months. Currently we have new people and I have been working 6 days a week to train them. There are "rules" that we aren't allowed to call out with out finding our own coverage. But no one
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    is allowed to take my shift because I am the only one that knows how to do everything. My boss COULD but always finds excuses to not be here and when she is she just sits at the bar and drinks all day. Examples: "well i don't have anyone to watch my kid" "I already paid for these concert tickets" "Im taking a week of "4 total this year...
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  • Imagine going about your work day when you should be on vacation while your boss just sits at the bar the entire time enjoying cocktails and beer for free. Where are the adults in this restaurant environment, people?!

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    Cheezburger Image 10449735680
    via Unsplash+ (Pablo Merchán Montes)

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

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    I did call out over thanksgiving because I was sick. I could have used 25+ hours buy was only given 8. The very next week she sent us all a message saying anyone that calls out would be written up and risks getting fired. Then when i asked to rollover or
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    cash out my PTO she said "It's use it or lose it!" I explain how i havnt had the chance because i keep doing 6 day weeks and overtime everyweek buy she doesn't seem to care. Anyway thanks for listening to my rant on how I got scr led by my boss!
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  • We have to express sympathy to this guy after all the sacrifices he made for these bogus new hires while getting his PTO hours declined… and then not being able to use them in the new year! What kind of so-called “professional” kitchen is this? This screams as messy and unfair as the conditions for the staff on The Bear. Here's hoping this guy can leave and get a new job soon. Now for some comments! 

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    Sushi Roll2004 Honestly, I hope that when you find your next gig, you no show, no call this one LL F your boss
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    superdeepborehole That's cruel of your manager to deny your PTO, delay your vacation requests, and disposing of your accrued benefits.
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    Agent-c1983 You need to have a chat with your local friendly employment lawyer. Taking PTO is a contractual right, and whilst you employer does get some say over when it can be used, constantly denying it just acts to frustrate the contract.
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    Joey_BagaDonuts57 Stop covering for 'Miss. Management'. Start looking elsewhere, as your experience is needed everywhere. Covering for her lack of management isn't your job, it's HERS.
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    Background-Hyena If there's no possible recourse, find a new job. Do not tell your manager that you're looking for a new job. Don't even give her two weeks notice. If she doesn't care
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    enough to give you the benefits you've earned, she won't care enough to give you a good reference. Soak that bridge in gasoline, drop the match, and walk away.
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    tandyman8360 • In 2020, my employer encouraged overtime and a lot of people didn't take vacation (there was nowhere to go) and they paid hourly people cash for up to 2 weeks of accrued vacation. Salaried employees didn't get that offer and lost a lot of "use it or lose it" time. In 2022, they went to "unlimited" PTO for salaried employees, presumably to avoid that issue again.
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    simulation07 · I'd go into quiet sabotage mode
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    NoMansSkyWasAlright "Hey boss, what do you think is going to happen to this place if I walk? Are you really sure you want to keep on like this?" Better yet, just don't show up for a couple of days.
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    shapeofthings Sounds like you are the business and should ask them do you want me to walk, because you need me... pay up or else.
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    FAnna-Banana Tell your boss you are taking (x- amount) of PTO starting on (x- specified date) to (x-specified date). And state that it's not a request and that you are using it instead of losing it.
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    It's your boss's job to step up, put some work in for once, and make sure they are managing the place well while the other trained employees pick up the slack elsewhere in that workplace.
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    Dance-Delicious Should be able to get paid for it then
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  • For more stories like this, take a look at this post about a conflict between a freelancer and their client.

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workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace manager job work restaurant PTO Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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