‘I was told my time doesn't matter... So I quit’: Employee leaves company after new boss revokes her pre-approved vacation to visit her soldier husband, just so she can take vacation instead

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
May 12, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

Finding the slivers of time between home life and work is difficult when you have a boss who prioritizes their own time before they even think about their underlings. It's normal to look out for oneself most of the time, but it's wrong to revoke pre-approved vacation time that isn't yours to revoke. Bosses believe that their subordinates should do everything in their power to never miss a day of work, to put the boss's needs before everyone else's (including their own), and do that all with a genuine smile. There's nothing worse than a new boss thinking they can walk into a company and call all the shots without doing some homework first.

The employee in this next story got approved for vacation because her husband, who is in the armed forces, was coming home from combat, and she wanted to meet him when he got off the plane. Her new boss, who is aware of this vacation time, tells her she can no longer take the time off because she has a beach vacation planned for the same day. Guess what happens next…

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  • "I was called into her office, and promptly notified that she was retracting my vacation because she had a beach one planned."
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "AITA For Quitting My New Boss Demanded I Give Her My Pre-Approved Vacation"

    To preface this my husband and I met in high school in 2000. He graduated, joined the army, and I went onto work in a corporate setting. Needless to say that
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • during this time after high-school (2006) he was deploying combat war zones and would get leave for two weeks to come home. I couldn't wait to see him and by this point we were engaged.
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • The office I was working for had a hectic time where my office manager quit. We were the only two holding down the fort. I was 22 and fresh out of college. So I
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • did my best to keep the ship sailing until the home office found a replacement for my boss. I did not get a raise. I did not get
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • increased responsibility during then time. I was young. Whatever. My fiance would be home that summer on that leave and I couldn't wait.
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • My new boss came in. She was great, a single mother coparenting her child with her boyfriend. That was until she saw my vacation to go to the army base and see my finance get off the plane. The first time I'd seen him in over a year.
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • Cheezburger Image 10502569984
    via Alexander Mils For Unsplash+
  • I was called into her office, and promptly notified that she was retracting my vacation because she had a beach one planned. I was heart broken. I worked my
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • bt off during the time I was alone in an office, even took service for a lawsuit from the previous previous office manager doing legal work he was not
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • licensed to do. I feel okay sharing that since the company has long since closed its doors. Another thing to note is that I was fresh out of college with a strong work
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • ethic toward legal proceedings. I would do not do things I was not licensed to do without a lawyer over seeing me. All of my
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • patience and learn as I go work and I was told my time doesn't matter when compared to the new boss. Our district manager backed her up on this. So I quit.
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • So I quit. Later I found she knew my fiancé's aunt and were friendly. Were is the keyword. My husband is close to his aunt as they're closer in age.
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • Was I young and naive or was she just being a total b-word?
    via Financial-Owl-1809
  • javel1 Good for you!!! They not only (tried) to cancel your vacation, they showed that you were not important.
    via javel1
  • Ginger630 Absolutely NTA! She tried pulling a power move on you. Now she has to cancel her vacation and do all the office work herself.
    via Ginger630
  • floridaeng I hope you're now a manager and using this example on what not to do to your employees. With this experience you should easily be a better boss than that one.
    via floridaeng

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Like a Boss boss bosses Professional At Work revenge work i quit petty revenge entitled people karma workplace Horrible Bosses entitled bad bosses Reddit entitled people
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