Company requests employees to ‘donate’ PTO to colleagues affected by the LA wildfires to ’make up’ for hours lost: ’[This is] just so the company doesn't hurt, not their people’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Jan 18, 2025 7:00 AM EST

When tragedy strikes, everyone must come together and figure out a way forward. The Los Angeles wildfires are not exception to this sentiment. You would think (or maybe you wouldn't) that companies would hang up their entitled coats for the day to ensure the employees that have been affected by this tragedy will be taken care of. And no, that doesn't mean they should burden other employees in the process.

This story is one of the most outlandish ones I've seen thus far. The employee who wrote this story explains that their company asked employees to "donate" the PTO they have to those affected by the wildfires so as to not lose company hours. It looks like the company is only looking out for themselves and looking to reap the beneficial optics they might get out of giving their affected employees some time off.

This employee has no plans to do so, and thinks the company should feel the pressure of doing a good deed for once. So much for corporate empathy, huh.

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  • "This is a multi-billion dollar company that has the resources to take care of their people, they're just choosing not to."
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

  • "Company asked us to donate our PTO but they only give 5 days"

    Rather than my employer taking care of their employees impacted by the LA Fires, they're asking everyone to donate PTO to make up for lost hours.
    via ThievedYourMind
  • First off, this is a multi- billion dollar company that has the resources to take care of their people, they're just choosing not to.
    via ThievedYourMind
  • Secondly, you can't give people such a low benefits package and then ask them to give it up. We've already established the company won't take care of people who do. This company already pays severely below market
    via ThievedYourMind
  • $ 22 DOLLARS
    via Unsplash (Money Knack)
  • Lastly, get f ed. I really feel for everyone who have had their lives outright devastated by this disaster but this company isn't actually trying to
    via ThievedYourMind
  • help. If I understand correctly they are still required to pay out for these shifts by their own policies. The PTO donations are just so the company doesn't hurt, not their people.
    via ThievedYourMind
  • Gabarne I only got a "donate PTO" e- mail once, and that was when I was working at a company that got bought by a larger publicly owned company. I just laughed, deleted the e- mail, and forgot about it. Probably the most asinine concept i've ever heard of.
    via Gabarne

  • On top of not giving their employees a nproper benefits package, the company expecting their employees to giv eup the small amount of PTO they were promised upon signing an offer is abhorrent.

    This employee is right to refuse offering up their PTO, especially if that will influence others to cause a stink about this insane ask by upper management. Empathy is not something learned—it is an innate feeling. Many of these companies are unfortunately not virtuous in this regard.

  • ktatsanon Refuse. The problem too is if you donate, the company will most likely take credit for helping these people and you'll be out your PTO, while hey look good in the public eye.
    via ktatsanon
  • I feel for everyone affected by this tragedy, but corporations are taking advantage. If they truly want to help, they can pay.
    via ktatsanon
  • Thiev... Oh the h I'm donating. Salaried staff work insane hours and get nothing for it. I'm do my job and go home. They don't deserve to look good
    via ThievedYourMind
  • ktatsanon Agreed! Companies are always taking advantage. Protect yourself, because they sure as h I won't protect you!
    via ktatsanon
  • althor2424 The whole concept of asking employees to donate leave or PTO to help other employees is such horse sh. The company could just do the right thing and give those people the time off to deal with whatever they are dealing with instead of being a soul sucking company
    via althor2424
  • johnmh71 Why should you pay? Did you start the fires?
    via johnmh71
  • EuphoricMoose This is so ridiculous. I was evacuated from the fires last Tuesday and my house was spared. Since I WFH, I actually tried to work last Friday but I couldn't. I was so exhausted physically and emotionally that I couldn't think and, frankly, didn't care at all about work. I
    via EuphoricMoose
  • told my boss I couldn't work and left. I work in a company with two other people. My absence actually does affect our turn around time and, yet, he just said ok, go ahead and go. In a big company, there's so many people who could
    via EuphoricMoose
  • step in and help until their colleagues can get back to work but instead, they implement these ridiculous policies about PTO?!? I am so frustrated that people are experiencing this. We're not robots. Companies need to understand that during disasters and tragedies, our lives need to come first.
    via EuphoricMoose
  • lobsangr HARD NO! The CEO can deduct a couple thousand from his yearly pay and do the full donation himself. F them.
    via lobsangr
  • sugar_a ict002 Getting employees to donate their PTO is a profiteer's idea of charity.
    via sugar_a**ict002

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Tags

management boss workplace-stories los angeles toxic-workplace terrible-bosses bosses work upper management reddit story horrible-management toxic-boss PTO workplace Horrible Bosses wildfire reddit thread red flag bad bosses company entitled people toxic-work-environment
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