We have a fairly small department in a corporate office. The team has a shared calendar to schedule PTO. The general rule is “don’t request time off if your colleague is already off.” Twice now, my colleague has requested time off when I am already off. I never do this because I look at the calendar beforehand. My manager initiated the “no concurrent PTO” rule last year, however she has approved both PTO requests from my colleague… breaking her own rule she is “enforcing.” Our office is already understaffed and any absence for an extended period (one week) puts a major strain on the remaining staff. Today my colleague requested two weeks off… three of the days when I’m already off. It was approved. I decided to request two additional days off (to make a full week) since I would essentially be busting my ass when I returned. Mind you my colleague will be in the office these days since it is before her two week vacation. My request initiated an email from my boss… basically bitching about how we aren’t being considerate with our requests… Am I in the twilight zone? I have never requested PTO when my colleague is out. I do tasks above my pay grade and always carry the team when my boss is out. So to call a meeting and complain that I did something wrong when SHE was the one who approved the concurrent PTO, doesn’t sit well with me. Don’t make me a scapegoat for your unwillingness to manage.