'Got in trouble for having a life outside of work': Boss chews out employee for taking time off during the summer

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jun 16, 2026 9:00 PM EDT

Should you be punished for having a life?

Absolutely not, and anyone who makes you feel that way should seriously reconsider how they're moving through the world. That's what happened to this employee, though, who shared their story on the antiwork subreddit. They were living their life the way they would like, and making sure to keep their boss abreast of their plans. This didn't go the way they had hoped, though, and brought out some pretty ugly feelings that were hard to ignore. When your business is threatening to fail the minute someone calls out of work, then there is a bigger issue at play. It's not the worker's fault for taking the time off that they need to take off. It's the employer's fault for not building a sustainable business. The blame here should never fall on the employee's shoulders. But it often does. If your scheduling time off is causing a ricochet through the business that you can't ignore, then there is something bad afoot. You should be able to live your life and take the time off that you need, provided that you clear it with your supervisors in a correct amount of time. That's what this employee did, but they still faced the consequences. 

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  • Cheezburger Image 10639270400
    via Vitaly Gariev

    An employee talks with her boss outside a modern office building

  • Got in trouble for having a life outside of work.

    Pretty much just a vent post because this is ridiculous. Since it's summer right now, for the past month and a half I have had plans and things to do with my friends and family that have been planned weeks in advance and I have always requested the time off I needed weeks in advance. For context it was 3 different blocks of 3 days off each over
    via idioticathiest
  • the course of the last 6 or so weeks. 2 for concert trips with my friends and one for a family trip. important to note this is not a constant or pattern, it's simply a very busy summer for me and will only be this chunk of 6 weeks and then I will continue to have open availability.
    via idioticathiest
  • Got some passive aggressive messages from my boss telling me we need to discuss my "reliability and attendance". Came into work and got called into his office, where he asked if I "really wanted this job" because I "am not behaving like someone who wants a job". Passive
    via idioticathiest
  • aggressively told me if I have other priorities and things to do that's great but they aren't interested in me, told me my head is clearly elsewhere and I won't last much longer if this is my pattern of behavior and that I shouldn't be so selfish and put more work on everyone else's
    via idioticathiest
  • shoulders and basically told me if I had this much of a life outside of work I just shouldn't have a job at all, which is just insane to me. He guilted me shamelessly and tried to make me feel like an awful person and a let down because I have plans and a life outside of work. I can see how it might seem
    via idioticathiest
  • excessive but I feel like it's also understandable that it's summer and people have things to do in the summer. I assured him it was the last vacation time off I needed and he said he was "willing to look past it" if I can fix my pattern of behavior but heavily threatened my job while doing so. In my field when you're an authority figure you basically
    via idioticathiest
  • must dedicate your entire life to your work, which is fine for him, but unfair to your minimum wage employees. I wanted to talk back so bad, to tell him me having other plans that aren't work is not indicative of me not wanting a job but I stayed silent and accepted it. Sorry for the long a rant, just needed to get it off my chest. Anyone else have similar experiences?
    via idioticathiest
  • Cheezburger Image 10639270656
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A boss shows something to her employer on an ipad

  • There is no excuse for anyone talking to you in a tone other than respect, especially at the office. No boss should make you feel worthless. There is a way to dole out critique and criticism without hurting feelings or hitting below the belt. Because that anger is often deeply misdirected. The boss in this story was clearly upset about something else, and they let that affect the way they talked to their employee. They were frustrated with how the business was going, and they let that blend into everything else. But the employee knew that this was wrong, and they did everything they could to get past it. It's hard to stay at a job where you're not respected, especially knowing that you did nothing wrong. Keep reading to see how the details of this story shook out.

  • Commenters gave their opinions and takes.

    ThorceGod Your boss sounds incredibly toxic and is probably a nightmare to work for if they can't handle one employee taking their PTO
    via ThorceGod
  • LikelySoutherner You work for a bad boss
    via LikelySoutherner
  • 404maggy i think the most ridiculous thing is you saying that this is a "busy summer". i can't believe we've gotten to a point where going out a few times for a total of a week and a half is considered
    via 404maggy
  • "busy" to the American work force. this is no shade to you at all, complete shade to the years of wage slavery and conditioning that you're only allowed to own such a small part of your own life
    via 404maggy
  • Suitable Exercise7096 Ignore all of that. Request & take your time off. Never forget that if you d d today, they'd replace you tomorrow.
    via SuitableExercise7096
  • Strattocatter Yeah, f that guy. If one employee taking time off inconveniences everyone else that badly, then the company needs to hire more people.
    via Strattocatter
  • Illfury "Boss, do you want great employees? Because you aren't behaving like you want great employees"
    via Illfury
  • This workplace is a joke. It's a 2 way street. You pay me to do work you can't do yourself. We have set expectations and we perform them. If you want more than the set
    via Illfury
  • expectation, you can access. it through our Performance Plus Employee package for an extra $5 an hour. Those rates are special offer and only for premium business who take themselves seriously. Poor companies can't usually afford this competitive package.
    via Illfury
  • Mrdingus6969 Your boss is a gaslighting scumbag. Imagine having to be scolded as a grown adult for taking time off. Time off is good recovery from burning out. Do not take what he said seriously.
    via Mrdingus6969
  • Unusual_Sherbert_809 Your boss is an a hle. What's worse is that now he has you on his radar. If possible, it's best for you to start looking for your next role before things get even worse, which they very likely will.
    via Unusual_Sherbert_809
  • discgman TF, its none of his business why you took the time off. That is actually unprofessional. Your boss is garbage. If he wants to fire you for taking time off, let him. Collect unemployment and find a better job.
    via discgman
  • OriginalEssGee Rare is the boss who doesn't kowtow to capitalist values. It's all about how it looks. Unless you make big bucks there & otherwise love the job, take your time off & don't worry about it. If you
    via OriginalEssGee
  • do want to stay there, be promoted, etc., there are times you have to play the capitalist subservient worker role. This timeline s_ks.
    via OriginalEssGee
  • Accurate-Long-259 It's funny how these bosses push everybody to work more yet they won't hire more people they just expect people to work more
    via Accurate-Long-259
  • Itchy_Inside1817 If I were you I would find another minimum wage job and tell this one to kiss your a. You have a life that work supports, not the other way around. Especially not for minimum wage. Time is the one resource that is gone forever once it is gone. More valuable than gold.
    via Itchy_Inside1817

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Tags

boss workplace-stories toxic-workplace job work working toxic-boss workplace bad bosses
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