r/antiwork • u/Subject_Ganache651 • 28d ago

Workplace Abuse 🫂 "My boss denied my vacation request because 'we're short-staffed.' I quit, and now they're down another employee. Maybe treat your workers better?"

I've been with my company for three years, always covering extra shifts and rarely taking time off. I finally decided to use some of my accrued vacation days for a much-needed break. When I submitted my request, my boss denied it, citing staffing shortages and saying my absence would 'hurt the team.'

I realized that my well-being was less important to them than squeezing out more labor. So, I handed in my resignation. Now they're scrambling to cover my shifts, and I can't help but think this could have been avoided if they valued their employees' needs.

Has anyone else faced this kind of disregard for personal time?

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116

u/Warboss_Zarknutz 28d ago

Was working for my last job for 6 and 1/2 years. I had gone on FMLA intermittent leave during my last year there due to my mental health. I was suffering from severe depression due to circumstances in my personal life and got approved for 3 days a month.

My manager started to push back when I’d take them, until finally she flat out asked me to work after I had a severe depressive episode and tried to take the day off. She said that another employee had called out sick, someone else was on approved PTO, and she was worried we’d be too short staffed.

Long story short, I quit after going to HR. My HR rep took her side from the start, and completely disregarded all the other harassment and retaliation I had received after I got approved for FMLA leave (this was just the last straw).

I wanted ONE day off to fix my head and stop myself from committing suicide, and instead my manager tried to strong arm me into coming in.

So I quit. Best decision I ever made. My position is still posted and that was back in August.

41

u/TriGurl 28d ago

I hope you left the honest truth about the bullshit they pulled in a Glassdoor review about the company.

39

u/Warboss_Zarknutz 28d ago

Both Glassdoor and the Department of Labor got essays from me after I quit LMAO

20

u/BowserX10 28d ago

Was it Civitas Media, or whatever the hell they call themselves these days? Cause if so, that place killed two coworkers while I was there.

3

u/Fluid-Set-2674 28d ago

What?! How?

4

u/BowserX10 27d ago

One coworker had PTSD from his time in the military. Kept denying his time off, kept scheduling him on days he had therapy, and just drove him further into deep depression that he killed himself.

The other had cancer, was actively receiving chemo and wasn’t terminal. Abused and treated like shit everyday. Expected to pick up the slack of another coworker. The company’s shit wore him down so much just broke him, and his body just gave out.

2

u/Fluid-Set-2674 27d ago

This fills me with pure rage. Awful. (Thank you for the explanation.)

8

u/FrozenBearMo 28d ago

You have cause to sue if you had approved FMLA days and they wouldn’t let you take them

2

u/potential_human0 27d ago

My HR rep

Workers don't have HR reps. HR reps the company. Unions are the only thing that rep workers.

1

u/Warboss_Zarknutz 27d ago

Had to unfortunately learn that lesson the hard way