Employee quits job after being denied time off for the holidays, only for HR to extend their notice period by 30 days without warning: ‘HR can shout all they want’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Dec 20, 2025 6:00 PM EST

The thing about contracts is that they are a two-way street and are binding to everyone who signs them, no matter what.

When employees sign a contract with a workplace, it's easy to forget that the workplace is obligated to follow every rule in that contract, just like the employee. Sure, they are the side that pays, and it might feel like they have the upper hand, but that is exactly what a contract is for–to protect either side.

When a company decides to deny its employees any time off, for whatever reason, it is risking their employees' loyalty. If someone feels like they are being treated wrongfully within a workplace, they have every right to turn in their notice whenever they want.

Which is exactly what the employees below did. The company denied their time off for the holidays, claiming no one gets a vacation until their work is complete. So two of the employees decided to look for other jobs and handed in their 30-day notice period, per their contract.

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  • However, HR decided to disregard these contracts and informed the soon-to-be ex-employees that they must work for another 30 days before they are “permitted” to leave.

    Since the contract is a two-way street, the employees owe the company nothing. Read below how that went down…

  • 01
    Employee holding cardboard box, quitting job
    via charliepix

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    management denies basic leave and then acts shocked when people quit

    i'm a project manager at a software org and honestly i still can't process what just happened this week.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 03
    we're a mid sized desk. 5 devs working closely with me on a UI revamp (a lot of work had to be done).
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 04
    tight timelines like always. a month ago it was festiv season and a couple of devs asked for leave.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 05
    normal stuff. one wanted to take time off for his wedding anniversary. another for his kid's first birthday.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 06
    others just wanted to go home and be with family for the festival. management straight up said no.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 07
    reason? 'the goal for the new UI changes isn't completed yet'. no flexibility, no discussion, no compromise.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 08
    just nope. deadlines over everything. that already felt gross but it gets worse. two of the devs started interviewing.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 09
    they got offers from another company. they put in their papers properly. 30 days notice period as per contract.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 10
    all clean. ff their last working day is literally tomorrow (thursday) today HR suddenly jumps in and says 'we're extending your notice period by another 30 days'.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 11
    no prior warning. no clause explained. just pressure. emotional manipulation. basically trying to trap them because now they realise team is falling apart.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 12
    these guys already planned their exit. new jobs lined up. and now this bullshit i'm sitting here as the PM watching this and honestly feeling sick.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 13
    this is how you k || morale and make l sure people never trust leadership again. denying leave for anniversaries and a childrens birthday??
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 14
    then holding people hostage when they resign?? and the thing is leadership still thinks this is about 'commitment' and 'ownership' nah man.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 15
    this is just unethical behaviour dressed up as company policy. the devs are still leaving. tomorrow.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 16
    HR can shout all they want. but this whole thing has made one thing very clear to me too.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 17
    if this is how they treat engineers, PMs aren't special either. we're all replaceable to them when it's convenient.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 18
    this system is broken and it's exhausting watching good people get S wed for doing nothing wrong.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 19
    Quit Job Business man sending resignation letter and packing
    via chaliepix

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 20
    Cassierae87 They can extend the contract 30 years. The employees don't have to honor it
    via Cassierae87
  • 21
    OP Fantastic-Nerve7068 exactly. its mad
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 22
    ElTupacabraXXX But but but but they extended the contract! Lol, I'd walk out right then and let them bluster and seethe.
    via ElTupacabraXXX
  • 23
    OP Fantastic-Nerve7068 extend it all you want. contracts aren't handcuffs
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 24
    Mehhucklebear If you can unilaterally extend my contact without my consent, then I can increase my compensation for said contract by 1,000%. If contracts have no meaning anymore, it works both ways
    via Mehhucklebear
  • 25
    OP Fantastic-Nerve7068 love this lol
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 26
    daytonakarl Cool... but as that contract adjustment hasn't been signed by both parties it's worthless.
    via daytonakarl
  • 27
    OP Fantastic-Nerve7068 fr, the devs are not obliged to follow it
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 28
    NewHumbug " I quit " "You can't quit, you have to give us two weeks notice" "Ok. In two weeks from now, you're gonna notice, that I haven't been here for two weeks " Mitch Hedburg (RIP)
    via NewHumbug
  • 29
    OP Fantastic-Nerve7068 classic mitch. still undefeated. that quote never stops being relevant lol
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 30
    gold-magikarp Imao that's not how notice periods work. I hope they think twice about denying leave like heartless bastards now (we all know they won't).
    via gold-magikarp
  • 31
    OP Fantastic-Nerve7068 thats what they dont understand.... (theyll still proceed to deny leaves)
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 32
    jaylerd The implication they can just keep extending contracts on people who already are leaving against their will or even after that person acted in good faith within the 30 day window, and retroactively change their position like that, is so ballsy. I would love to have a follow-up to this to see what kind of whining results. Good luck to you all!
    via jaylerd
  • 33
    OP Fantastic-Nerve7068 yeah the audacity is wild. watching them panic and try to rewrite reality in real time has been... something. if there's fallout, ill def update
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068
  • 34
    quast_64 I'll sit there arms crossed getting paid... send someone a useless email every hour, just to prove i'm still there and logged in.
    via quast_64
  • 35
    OP Fantastic-Nerve7068 that's the energy. bare minimum, zero guilt. if they wanna play stupid games, they get stupid output.
    via Fantastic-Nerve7068

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notice boss workplace-stories employee hr manager job tales-from-the-workplace time off overworked-employees workplace company quitting
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