Pharmacy fires employee, tells remaining employees that they're not allowed to take time off: 'I’m afraid I‘ll lose my job if I ask to take a few days'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Apr 10, 2026 9:00 PM EDT

What would you do if you couldn't take any time off?

Time off is essential. It's part and parcel of the employee experience, and you need to be able to use it to your advantage. No matter if you're hourly or salaried, you want to be able to take the time that you need to survive. Not only survive, but thrive. You need to be able to take the time you can get and not worry about whether or not it's going to affect your employment. Sure, you can't expect to take infinite time off. Your job needs you, and they need to count on you to be there when you can be there. But it's not right for employers to restrict their employees' time off so drastically. 

Advertisement
  • 01
    A pharmacy worker holds a small object to his face
    via Su Salud

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

  • 02

    Boss let someone go, remaining employees not allowed to take off.

    Hi all! I worked in a privately owned pharmacy, and we originally had 3 people working. The boss moved someone, so now we only have 2 people. They did this with less than a week's notice. Before, if someone had a commitment/vacation, someone else stepped in to cover them.
    via rnbme
  • 03
    Now, our boss is telling us that we're not "permitted to take off for any non-essential reason." We work 5 days a week, 45 hours a week, no benefits + not being paid time and a half for the extra 5 hours over 40 (i'm paid, but just standard pay).
    via rnbme
  • 04
    I'm afraid I'll lose my job if I ask to take a few days to visit my long- distance boyfriend whom I haven't seen in months. Has anyone experienced something similar?
    via rnbme
  • 05

    Commenters expressed their outrage on their behalf.

    DenizenKay why arent you being paid for 5 hours of work weekly? call your local labour board. that is not OK.
    via DenizenKay

  • That's what happened here, though, when one employee ended up in a situation that they did not want to be caught in. They were working for a small team, which is always a risk when it comes to time off. But when their boss decided to make that team even smaller, everyone ended up paying for it. Literally, once one person was gone, everything was thrown off kilter. If your team is that tenuous to begin with, then something is definitely wrong. Good managers know how to manage people, not just ideas. They know how to make everyone feel supported when they show up to work. Asking your employees to work for free is never a good idea in this regard, and often not legal. But that's what happened here, and one employee had had enough. When something is bothering you at work, there are a few places you can go. You can complain about it to your friends, who might care about you but probably don't know enough about your job to truly help. You could complain to your manager directly, but you run the risk of making something bigger than it needs to be. Or you can complain to strangers on the internet. Which is easy, free, and sometimes offers valuable perspectives. Keep reading to see what happened here and see what you think about it.

  • 06
    Any_March_9765 you need to find a better job. 5 hours a week unpaid and NO benefits? Heck no
    via Any_March_9765
  • 07
    ImAPixiePrincess Are you salaried? If not, it's illegal to not be paid for hours worked. Sounds like it may be time to start looking for a new job. It's really controlling to allow no one time off for an indefinite amount of time.
    via ImAPixiePrincess
  • 08
    A pharmacist works in a pharmacy
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • 09
    greeneyedband... This sounds like a horrible job. Please start looking at other jobs immediately. OT should be paid, and you are expected to never take time off for a company that doesn't even offer health insurance! Psssh.
    via greeneyedband
  • 10
    LikeABundleOfHay That's illegal where I live. You have 4 weeks of PTO by law, your employer cannot change that entitlement.
    via LikeABundleOfHay
  • 11
    ProbablyPuck Bad management decision happen from time to time as a matter of course. Good managers take accountability for those mistakes and actively work to minimize the impact felt by their staff.
    via ProbablyPuck
  • 12
    Do you feel like you have a good manager? Is there a safe way to speak truth to power in your organization? If that second answer is no, then this is only the beginning of problems coming.
    via ProbablyPuck
  • 13
    BirdBruce "Hey boss, how about approving that time off request and I'll continue to ignore the fact that you break federal labor laws by not paying OT. Fair trade?"
    via BirdBruce
  • 14
    Interest-Amazing This is a scam. You need to contact your labor board and start looking for other work.
    via Interest-Amazing
  • 15
    So_Motarded What country and state/province do you live in? Some of this stuff might not be legal, but it depends on your local laws.
    via So_Motarded
  • 16
    HarleyDFLSTC Did you just post to vent? Until you let us know what country you're in, we can't really provide advice.
    via HarleyDFLSTC
  • 17
    BrayoTheDon It's amazing how quickly you can stumble into an emergency and need time off...
    via BrayoTheDon

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

antiwork toxic-workplace job bosses coworkers working time off workplace pharmacy
Scroll Down For The Next Article