Would you do something like this? Boss denies PTO time to two employees who have tickets for a concert, as this boss and another employee are going to be off that same day

Author image for María Cetra
María Cetra • Writer
Aug 18, 2026 11:15 AM EDT

Maybe you just need to ask sooner…

In the corporate world, you will hear a lot of sayings for different things, and one of them is "first come, first served". You are going to hear it when you get to the communal kitchen and every fork has been taken, when you get a more annoying task than the older employees, and ESPECIALLY when you want to ask for PTO time. For the time off, companies usually give priority to the employees who have been at the company for longer, but sometimes they do seem to treat everybody the same and just give it to the person who asked first. That seems far more fair, as everyone is now entitled to those days if they organize fast enough.

When in the story below we encounter this situation of multiple employees wanting the same day off, here is where the saying we previously mentioned has to become a rule. Is obvious that a small company wouldn't accept multiple employees gone at the same time, especially if they are from the same area or store. So when these two employees started requesting the day that already two other employees had asked for, my answer became obvious. If I were the manager in this situation, I would have simply said no. They can't take the day off because other people asked for it first. Next time, manage your time beforehand so we can avoid this situation.

The fact that those employees who were denied the PTO said aloud that if they didn't get it they would just call off is so dumb. Why would you say something like that? Don't you realize it can get you fired? Some people… What also got to me was that this manager really tried getting them the time to go to the concert. This person worked out a plan where they would be able to come work, go to the concert, rest after it, and come back the next day, and they said no. This boss had no business working this hard for people who weren't organized enough. I get the fact that they wanted the free day, but it's not possible, so work with what you got. Especially if one of them wasn't even allowed to take time off yet. 

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  • 01
    I am a store manager for a national retail store. I had 2 employees put in for a weekend off in the middle of next month. The problem is I already have that weekend off for a vacation I've had planned for over a year, and one of my other employees had also asked for the time off a couple months ago. I can't spare these two weekend because it wouldn't leave only 3 people, with only one of them in a leadership role for the whole weekend. That wouldn't be fair to them. I'm not going to cancel my va
    via MintyFreshBreathYo
  • 02
    A band concert full of people.
    via Yvette de Wit

    A band concert full of people. 

  • 03
    employee who had theirs approved months ago that they can no longer have it off. When I told the other two I can't approve it unless they themselves call the other stores in the area to see if they had anyone in a leadership role that could fill in for the weekend. They replied saying that they already bought tickets to a concert and they'll just call in if I don't give it to them off. I told them if they do that I will consider it their resignation as they've already have been told no. I've bee
    via MintyFreshBreathYo
  • 04
    if I don't give them the time off, but I disagree for a couple of reasons. A. They know time off is first come first served. B. I'm not going to punish myself or someone else because we followed the rules. C. I gave them an option they can take to get it off but are unwilling to do that claiming it's my responsibility to find their coverage. D. Most importantly one of them hasn't even been with the company long enough to have PTO.
    via MintyFreshBreathYo
  • 05
    Update: After reading the comments on here I did reach out to the managers at the nearby stores, but they would have to ask their staff if they'd want to come to my store. So in the meantime I tried coming up with a solution that would make it possible for them to see their concert and still be able to work. The concert is only a 90 minute drive from where we live. I offered to schedule them opening shifts on the day of the concert (8am - 4pm), the doors for the concert don't open till 7 so it w
    via MintyFreshBreathYo
  • 06
    them for closing shifts (3pm - 10pm). That way they would have plenty of time to get home and rest before their shift. Unfortunately they turned it down.
    via MintyFreshBreathYo
  • 07
    Different office buildings seen from the outside.
    via Abbe Sublett

    Different office buildings seen from the outside. 

  • 08
    United_Gift3028 I suggest you start hiring two new employees, because I'm fairly sure they will be going to that concert.
    via United_Gift3028
  • 09
    Stephinator917 You are not wrong but be aware they arent coming that day. Plan accordingly. Maybe you can hire more help and replace them.
    via Stephinator917
  • 10
    NaughtyDred I am a bottom rung worker, always have been, always will be. I say that to highlight my bias is with the worker and against the boss. NTA they shouldn't have bought tickets to something before getting the time approved and the fact that they just outright told you they would call in s ck is ridiculous. They obviously don't care how that would negatively affect their colleagues, or maybe they do and just don't care.
    via NaughtyDred
  • 11
    Beautiful_Hippo_5574 They should have waited to buy for approval of the time off. NTA for denying, but that doesn't mean they won't leave you hanging regardless so just plan to terminate them while also making plans for coverage.
    via Beautiful_Hippo_5574
  • 12
    ArrivalFantastic4324 NTA if you fire them for calling in on a weekend you cannot approve. They've got to ask further in advance and before they buy tickets.
    via ArrivalFantastic4324
  • 13
    dearcadian You're not the a h le, but you also have to factor in that you'll have to find and hire replacements. I don't know what your hiring is like, but finding good people for entry/shift manager jobs is not easy for us, different industry though. But you've got to do your job and not sacrifice yourself for it
    via dearcadian
  • 14
    socolime22202 if your PTO policy is in writing and given to every employee, NTA. they can't follow the guidelines or respect policy or respect their colleagues who are doing things right.
    via socolime22202
  • 15
    anonymousphoenician As a Manager, it is your job to find the replacements, you cannot put that on the employees. You can always say "I need to see if I can procure coverage first, at this time I cannot agree nor deny." You being out three employees will cause you to be shorthanded for that time, what happens when youre two employees short after that call out and you fire them? Obviously if they do call out after they say they will anyway, there should be a consequence. Maybe a suspension with no
    via anonymousphoenician
  • 16
    youre not wanting to over burden your other employees during that time, are you willing to over burden them for a length of time after when you have to find new employees and train them?
    via anonymousphoenician
  • 17
    readergirl35 NTA but document the h I out of the conversation where they said they'd simply call in s ck if their time off request was not granted. If you have to fire them for doing so it needs to be well documented that they planned to do this and aren't s ck.
    via readergirl35

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