You should only ever work for a company who treats their people (and subordinates) with compassion when it is appropriate. I understand that sometimes having a firm hand is needed if handling employees who do the bare minimum but what about the hard working, stretched thin due to being understaffed for so many months, quality driven people who does deserve consideration?
I know I can’t claim that I was the perfect employee but I have consistent attendance, was never late, only absence were during times I had to get vaccinated and experienced side effects, never plotted more than 2 days worth of PTO, known for my quality work by my peers and management in a Night shift position where you don’t actually enjoy PTO in my role since the work you leave during your sick leave/PTO, you have to handle that upon returning because my manager doesn’t want to delegate the team’s work load in lieu of absence.
I was with this company for 2.5 years by this point and I decided I wanted to finally have a 1 week vacation (which I have more than enough leave credits for so I definitely am entitled for this vacation). I think I deserve this long over due vacation since by that point I was severely burned out due to our team was lacking 2-3 people for months and I wasn’t the only employee who was exhausted, just shortly after I requested this 1 week of PTO the right hand man (being upskilled as well to eventually replace the manager) of my manager rendered immediate resignation without providing notice due to how exhausted they are in the role. I notified my manager more than a month ahead to help with the holiday headcount forecast of the team.
I also found the need to have such a long vacation because my father who I haven’t seen since pre-pandemic times 2018, will be spending the holiday here, visiting us from his place of work abroad.
My manager however did not like the idea of me being away the entire Christmas week (note that our company doesn’t even provide Holiday Off, instead they require us to report to work still with a premium Holiday rate pay to compensate) and chose to yell and berate me during our next team meeting. In front of our two new recruits to the team.
This wasn’t the sole instance I was yelled at by my manager in front of the entire team but this was the last straw the broke the camel’s back for me. Two days later I sent in my resignation letter indicated my last day to be the last day of my 1 week vacation so I didn’t have to report to work to face my manager again.
On a much more positive note, at present I am in an entirely different company. A unicorn start up that aims to revolutionize employment, work and to provide well paid jobs to people all over the globe, completely remote.
I just finished my third monthsary and decided to inform my manager in our 1on1 meeting that I plan on travelling abroad for vacation at October 2022 for two whole weeks. She was happy to hear of my plans to make good use of my earned PTO (we are also encouraged to take long vacations compared to long weekends to better recover if ever we experience burn out). She even shared that she herself will also take a two week trip overseas to Europe in October as well! She told me I can plot my October vacation whenever I want and she will immediately approve it.
I followed her advice and plotted my vacation as soon as our 1on1 meeting ended and seconds after I submitted the request she approved it!
(Quick clarification that the leaves tool in my old job all PTO are auto approved as long as it’s plotted two weeks in advance. Informing my manager of my vacation was just a courtesy)
Big lesson learned, I was a 2.5 years tenured in my old job and regularized already but was treated horribly by management regarding PTO plotting while in my new job in just 3 months, during probation period as well, I was celebrated for taking initiative in planning out my PTO.
Only work for companies that treat you WELL and never stay in a company who would rather abuse you to no ends.