New boss denies PTO requests from every employee, lets their PTO days expire without them getting paid for them: 'They've changed the rules'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jun 15, 2026 7:45 PM EDT

Is a job that can't guarantee vacation days worth staying in?

Most people would agree that it is necessary to take a break from work now and again, outside the strictures of the usual five-day workweek. Taking the time to rest, recharge, and maybe catch up with some of the stuff that being at work distracts us from is just common sense. Not everything has to come down to our ability to do our jobs.

Despite this, many employees feel guilty or anxious when they make a PTO request. The very act of having to ask permission to take some of your time back can feel transgressive, and that isn't helped by the fact that certain managers and companies have no problem in being very liberal with denying or cancelling time off.

One of the biggest red flags in most jobs is when your promised vacation time is subject to change on a whim. That usually means that something suspicious is going on behind the scenes. Increasingly, employees who are faced with this predicament believe that the best thing they can do is move on professionally. However, that isn't always possible to do in a hurry, and they have to deal with this downside first.

 

Advertisement
  • A representation of two employees sitting at a table in a meeting room as a boss speaks to them while standing up
    via Marcel Petzold

    A representation of two employees sitting at a table in a meeting room as a boss speaks to them while standing up

  • In this story, an employee booked a vacation that was approved by their previous manager. Their new manager allowed them to take it, but warned everyone who worked for them that they were going to be changing the rules when it came to PTO.

    It turned out that this meant they were denying every PTO request that came from employees, as well as allowing their PTO days to expire so they could not get paid for them. The employee was wondering if there was any way to stand up to this behavior, not least because their company was lacking in an HR department.

  • Boss is denying PTO of every employee in the company. Directly goes against the handbook and our PTO is expiring; what can we do?

    So I booked a vacation last year. This was approved by my manager, who eventually left. The position was filled by my current boss. Before anyone asks, yes, I'm looking for a new job.
    via in_a_pickle_97
  • While my boss is allowing me to take off this vacation because it was approved by a different person, they have - by their own words - "changed the rules". It used to be that we would book our vacation, it was approved, and whoever was scheduled to work our shift before and after our blocks
    via in_a_pickle_97
  • were mandated to cover. Sucked when you had to do it, but it was nice when you wanted PTO. This is how the employee handbook and company policy states we handle PTO. Company grants us ten days of PTO per year.
    via in_a_pickle_97
  • Since getting here, our boss is denying every single PTO request and is letting PTO expire for the entire team. We do not get paid for this PTO otherwise.
    via in_a_pickle_97
  • Is there anything I can do about this? Our company doesn't have an HR department nor do we have a union rep, which doesn't make this any easier. I'm wondering if it's somehow against the law in Ohio, although I am aware that's a long shot.
    via in_a_pickle_97
  • A representation of two employees sitting with a laptop at a meeting table, with the boss standing behind them and pointing at the screen
    via Marcel Petzold

    A representation of two employees sitting with a laptop at a meeting table, with the boss standing behind them and pointing at the screen

  • Puzzleheaded-Ad7606 Unless your boss owns the company he reports to someone. You as a Group need to talk to that someone.
    via Puzzleheaded-Ad7606
  • Your answer about manager from another company makes little sense- who hired your boss? Maybe reach out to old boss and find out who to contact.
    via Puzzleheaded-Ad7606
  • Smokedealers84 At this point just get everyone who got denied PTO and ask him is going on as a group. If he still doesn't budge everyone should put their pto and use it even if they are denied just go on vacation.
    via Smokedealers84
  • Ask him what are those new rules exactly and how to use your pto from this point on.
    via Smokedealers84
  • OhioPhilosopher Go on Indeed and Glass Door and post that 100% of PTO requests are denied.
    via OhioPhilosopher
  • Kooky_Degree_9 I'm guessing that either the company is in financial trouble or is being sold or absorbed by another entity.
    via Kooky_Degree_9
  • Medusa 7898 Stage a sick out. Everyone needs to not come in for a day and paralyze the company.
    via Medusa_7898
  • ourldyofnoassumption You need to go over the bosses head. But this is how.
    via ourldyofnoassumption
  • You don't criticize his policy. You raise a risk with your colleagues that there will be a situation at the end if the year when PTO expires that you will all get it at the same time.
    via ourldyofnoassumption
  • Map it out on a calendar demonstrating that (situation A) and then map out when everyone wants PTO to avoid that (situation B) and then go to your boss as a group first and propose B.
    via ourldyofnoassumption
  • If he says no one is getting PTO ever then go to his boss (he must have one) or the CEO and indicate what's going on. But in order to be effective you need about 25% of the people you work with to agree to this. Is that feasible?
    via ourldyofnoassumption
  • Toptenxx I ran into a similar problem years ago. I (diplomatically) told my boss that they could either pay out the time, add it to the next year or grant the PTO before it expires but losing it would not be accepted. They grudgingly chose
    via Toptenxx
  • to add it to the next year. I was willing to (again diplomatically) draw a line in the sand. It comes with a risk .... but it sure felt good.
    via Toptenxx

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

Tags

employee PTO workplace bad bosses
Scroll Down For The Next Article