‘When I refused, she actually went to our manager to complain’: Coworker gets mad when her dream trip overlaps with a colleague’s Christmas vacation, then demands they give it up because “Christmas matters more for families”

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Etai Eshet • Editor
Oct 6, 2025 5:00 AM EDT

Booking Christmas off almost a year in advance feels smart until someone comes along needing your spot for their dream vacation. Suddenly, because you don't have kids, your holiday is supposed to be up for grabs. Coworker gets a sweet deal on tickets, and now your time off is basically a suggestion, not a plan. She pulls out the "family needs Christmas more" card and expects you to just shrug and hand it over. 

Calendar swaps at work never really come without baggage. There's always someone with a last-minute plan that trumps good old-fashioned planning, and plenty of side comments about who "deserves" which holiday. Anyone without kids turns into the designated backup, stuck dodging guilt as if a random sale is more meaningful than finally escaping the office for a few days. All the pleading, side-eyes and dramatic sighs barely make a dent, those prime vacation days aren't going anywhere.

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  • My coworker is furious because I won’t give up my Christmas vacation for her “ dream trip”

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  • I work in a small office where we have to book vacations almost a year in advance so everything stays organized.
    via alvaro_minsk
  • Back in January I requested two weeks off for Christmas and New Year, and it was approved months ago.
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  • Now, just last week, my coworker came to me saying she found a "dream deal" for a trip to Asia in December, but the dates overlap exactly with mine.
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  • She told me that since I don't have kids, I should give up the holidays and take time off later because" Christmas matters more for families".
    via alvaro_minsk
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    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • When I refused, she actually went to our manager to complain. thankfully my manager supported me, but now she acts like I ruined her once in a lifetime opportunity.
    via alvaro_minsk
  • apparently my well planned holiday is optional, but her last minute whim is untouchable.
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  • Deep_in_Ruins If you have a work group chat make sure you send plenty of pictures of the fun things you're doing to it
    via Deep_in_Ruins
  • akito23 If christmas is important for her family why is she planning on traveling to asia instead of staying home with her kids
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    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Sassy-Peanut I so hate people who say things like "since you don't have kids" and "Christmas matters more for families" are so irritating. Why is their Xmas more important than yours because they chose to have children? Unbelieveble!
    via Sassy-Peanut
  • Diesel07012012 "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."
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  • Salnugs Tell them you would sell them your vacation time for 15k
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  • NYC-WhWmn-ov50 I always love people who claim that 'having kids' is the ony thing that equals 'having family'. I have family too, ridiculous amounts of it, they just didnt come out of my . And crazy fact, we like to see each other without humans under a certain year or height requirement present.
    via NYC-WhWmn-ov50
  • SuggestionOrnery6938 Its Xmas. She can take her dream trip any other time
    via SuggestionOrnery6938

  • Manager backs you up, but now the break room’s got just a hint more frost, and every “good morning” sounds like it has some extra edge. Turns out all it takes to “ruin a dream trip” is sticking to a plan and not treating your holiday like a suggestion. Some offices call it holiday cheer, other places call it surviving December without giving up your sanity.

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Tags

management christmas boss workplace-stories hr manager bosses work PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance
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