When I stared at my job in august of last year, I was hired as a commission based independent contractor. About 3 months ago they switched to PTO for everyone, including commission based, which was previously “take whatever time you need, you just don’t get paid for that time” which makes sense.
Before I started, I told them about time off in august I needed for an annual trip, which they were fine with. When PTO kicked in, I no longer “had the hours” for the trip, and had to figure out this very convoluted way of working remotely for some of it to make it work.
Now, I have come down with Covid, and because PTO and sick time are all on the same ticket, I have work remotely while very sick so that I can still take my trip in august. I was just on an all staff meeting and someone was discussing rising Covid numbers, so I mentioned I currently have it. My boss messaged me, horrified with the way my voice sounded, to ask if I was still okay to be meeting with clients. I only sent back a thumbs up emoji.
I can’t believe that I can either be sick, or I can take a trip I’ve had planned for over a year, but I can’t do both. All because of a change to policy that I had nothing to do with and was not hired under.
I just needed to vent and this felt like an appropriate place to put it.