Employee loses days of PTO for taking an hour for lunch: 'I finally decided to treat myself and go to lunch one day...I received an email that I will be losing 2 days of PTO.'

Author image for Christiana Maimone
Christiana Maimone • Freelance Writer
Jul 4, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

Starting a new job often feels as though you're an alien visiting an entirely unknown planet. Everyone seems to know something you don't. You have to navigate new social dynamics and workplace policies, all while learning how to do the job they hired you for. A lot of the time, you're thrown to the wolves unless people clearly explain things to you, and you unfortunately have to make mistakes to learn. 

In this instance, a civil engineer had been working at a new job for several months and often worked through lunch, eating at their desk. They noticed that most people in the office take at least an hour or two for lunch multiple times a week. When they decide one day to step out for an hour-long lunch, they're met with a harsh punishment from the higher-ups. Apparently, their break warranted the loss of two whole PTO days and an accusation of time theft. Ah, the American workforce, the place where you're punished for eating a meal…

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    Took too long of a lunch, lost 2 days of PTO

    I started a new job 4 months ago. I've kept my head down and watched how things work. For 4 months I've eaten at my desk and worked through lunch. While
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    PANTONER
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models. 

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    worked through lunch. While watching everyone else, I noted that most people take a 1-2 hour lunch roughly 3 days a week.
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    They also use the company card from the conversations I've heard. In hindsight most people doing this are in higher positions than me.
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    Cheezburger Image 10516760832
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models. 

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    Well I finally decided to treat myself and go to lunch one day. Just across the street, by myself, something simple to get out of the office. I was gone from the
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    the office. I was gone from the office in total, for 1 hour and 18 minutes (I checked, as this was my first time doing this I wanted|ll to feel it out)
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    When I returned my superior asked me where I had been for so long and seemed irritated but not mad. Well, a few hours later he called me into his office and told me I took time off on company time and there would be discipline to follow.
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    Cheezburger Image 10516762880
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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

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    Fast forward to this morning, I received an email that I will be losing 2 days of PTO. This job has a probationary period where I can't take time off for the first year anyways. Once I can, I get 5 days of PTO for the first 10 years, 10 days PTO after that.
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    They let me know the first PTO day being deducted is to recoup the time the company lost on me, the second day is a disciplinary measure. They will be deducted starting next year, meaning for the next two years I only have 3 days of PTO.
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    I suppose I'm just venting cus there's probably nothing I can do about this.
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    Edit: for everyone telling me to clarify my allotted lunch time, I have. I asked for it when I started and after the disciplinary incident I asked profusely, as I just wanted a guideline or rule so I knew what to do.
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    Their answer was that there is no specific lunch break time. It's based on the needs of the team that day. Which explains why some days the higher ups take 2 hour lunches, and apparently the
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    hour lunches, and apparently the team needed me the day I took my first lunch and I was gone for too long causing others to pick up my slack.
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    Edit #2: since it's a common question, I make 80k at this job. I am a civil engineer with a masters in concrete engineering, a very
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    specific and niche degree. After the one year probation period I have the opportunity to negotiate a possible raise.
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    Cheezburger Image 10517103872
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  • Even with advanced degrees like engineering, employees are still treated like machines and not people. Take that lunch break, enjoy it, and if your bosses don't like it, it might be time to start sending your resume elsewhere. We can only hope that this engineer found a fresh start somewhere more human. 

  • 19
    Noble_Atom That's the smell of American freedom right there.
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    HimmyNeutron666 OP your boss really wanted to make sure he showed you that enjoying a peaceful lunch break is below your pay grade. You eat at your desk and work like a dog so they can enjoy 3 hours at a restaurant on the company's dime. Now thats ugly.
    via HimmyNeutron666
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    Choles2rol What field do you work in where the first year without PTO is normal? I'm a bit baffled by how bad their benefits are.
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    ShinePretend3772 It's time to quit. That doesn't sound legal
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employment issues boss lunch break antiwork wtf bosses new job overworked capitalism reddit story Memes PTO workplace Horrible Bosses bad bosses Reddit employment
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