Some background: I worked in an entry level accounting job at a very small accounting firm. It is run by an asshole boomer. About a month ago I asked him if I could get two weeks off for a family vacation in end of July/early august. He gave me a really hard time about it and eventually said he would give it to me but it would be unpaid. I have worked here for a year and a half so I think I deserve some PTO, but whatever, I really just need a damn vacation so I accepted the unpaid time. The funny thing is, my boss and his wife had just gotten back from a three week vacation at the time he was giving me a hard time about my two week vacation, and my other coworker that he favors had just taken almost 2 weeks PAID vacation about a month before. I am 99% sure this asshole dislikes me because I am the youngest in the office (23) and he is always making comments like “young people are lazy” “nobody in this generation wants to work anymore” and shit like that.
So, yesterday, my boss came up to me in the middle of the day and said something along the lines of “I’ve been thinking, and we really need you to be here because quarterly payroll taxes are due at the end of July.” I tell him that I will not be able to be here because of my vacation that I informed him of already and I will try to get as much done as I can before I leave. He then says that since we have taken on more clients recently there will be more work than usual and I can’t take my vacation, and they will expect me to be there during the two weeks I had previously gotten off. I repeat that I will be on vacation and this dickwad starts literally SCREAMING at me, saying shit like “what don’t you understand? I am asking you to be here, therefore you will be here.”
I honestly have been really wanting to quit this job for a while and I am so done with this guy’s shit that I just started laughing, I couldn’t even help it. This pissed him off even more of course. He then threatened to fire me if I didn’t come in. I then told him that he won’t have to worry about that, because today will be my last day. He then stormed off and slammed his office door. This guy has serious anger issues and always has the whole time I’ve worked here.
So, I gathered all my stuff and left. And I couldn’t possibly be happier. The only thing I regret is not leaving sooner and putting up with bullshit and being underpaid. Since I left, my former boss has called my phone 3 times and left 2 voicemails asking me to come back and “work this out like an adult.” I will be blocking him soon. I honestly just think it’s kinda of funny to watch him beg for me to come back after treating me like garbage for over a year.
I know everyone on this sub says it, but NEVER put up with this shit from an employer. You deserve work life balance and vacation time and fair paid. It’s only been a day since I walked out but I have literally never been happier or felt more free.