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The US is not only lagging behind other countries that enjoy 4-6+ weeks of vacation annually, it doesn't legally require employers to provide paid time off. In fact, there is no obligation for your employer to give paid or unpaid leave unless it’s specified in a collective bargaining agreement or employment contract that requires it.

In addition to a few exceptions and a handful of states that give paid sick time to workers, if an employee requests time off that’s mandated by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or any other labor law, the time off must be given. That said, the FMLA only requires unpaid leave.  As you can see, the PTO situation in America is definitely not on the side of the worker.

And recently, Twitter user @PostOpPrincess, who works as a surgical/trauma registered nurse, shared a post: “Guess whose request off work got denied for their own wedding. PTO BABY, prepare the others, I ain't gone be there.” The post went viral, amassing 11.4K retweets and 245.7K likes, making more people share their stories of being denied paid time off at work. And it’s infuriating, to say the least.

Image credits: PostOpPrincess

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Gummy_wormz
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so sad and shitty. I really hope someone there felt at least a little remorse after that heartlessness.

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According to a study from Center for Economic and Policy Research, the European Union requires member countries to grant workers at least 20 working days of paid vacation. But many nations go well above that number, and some offer a heap of paid holidays, to boot. France, for example, requires at least 30 paid workdays off, not including paid holidays, while the U.K. mandates 28, followed by Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Spain and Sweden at 25.

In America, the situation is different, to say the least. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays. These benefits are matters of agreement between an employer and an employee.

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WilvanderHeijden
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The DA could have also prosecuted the employer for obstruction of justice.

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Hedgeh og
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is SO counter-productive on work's part. Someone plans that far ahead - they're a responsible and conscientious employee. And then you lose them because you're an idiot. Rehiring and training costs ALONE would be enough reason to avoid this scenario.

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Moreover, it’s no secret that in many American workplaces, especially the competitive ones, employees who take leave fear being treated badly or losing out on future opportunities. A 2018 study showed one of the biggest reasons US workers didn’t take time off was fear of being seen as replaceable. The US travel association backed up the fact by finding that 28% of people didn't take vacation days in 2014 purely to demonstrate dedication to their job and not be seen as a “slacker”. It’s apparent that the stigma around the idea of not working is very much alive.

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Kines Tezja
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's awful as it is, but it would be still evil if it was about her distant relative. Who cares if it's cousin, aunt or her neighbour? If they are important to her, they are important to her, it's a dying person goddammit!

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Bosses and employers also put pressure on employees' shoulders by expecting them to work hard to demonstrate their excellent performance, earn themselves a badge of honor and possibly get a raise. This becomes especially problematic in workplaces with toxic tendencies where management is particularly controlling.

To find out more about dealing with a micromanaging boss, we spoke with Dawn Moss, the founder of “Your Interview Coach” who has been helping both candidates and hiring managers through the recruitment and selection process since 2013. “It all comes back to trust and communication between the manager and employee,” Dawn noted. “Firstly, it’s best not to use the term micromanaged during those initial conversations with your manager because it often has negative connotations,” she suggested. “However, you need to start the dialogue about expectations and quality standards of work.”

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WilvanderHeijden
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nobody is going to keep me away from an important event. I'll attend that wedding or funeral. There isn't a job that's more important than your private life.

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jammer
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That ”strain on others” is cockamamie BS. In Japan, nobody stays home when ill ”because others have to do their work” and also ”because their work would pile up”. Excuse me? What pile up, didn’t the coworkers do it already?

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Dawn’s advice is to be prepared, organized and proactive. “Think ahead and be prepared to provide those detailed updates to reassure your manager that they can be confident you are in control and know what’s going on. Let them know ahead of time if a deadline is unrealistic, or a target is unlikely to be met. Let them know about issues before they find out about them from someone else.”

Moreover, according to Dawn, it’s always a good idea to reflect and analyze your own work ethic, patterns and styles. “Check that this hasn’t impacted on the trust between you and your manager. For example, the quality of your work, missing deadlines, turning up late, lack of communication, or updates, etc.”

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WilvanderHeijden
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Hey boss can I have the day off next Friday?" "Why?" "I'll have to attend the funeral of my boss who died from a horrible work related accident."

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To build the trust between you as an employee and your manager, it’s important to “try to understand your manager's behavior and the potential pressures they may have (demands, deliverables, outputs, results, stakeholder and shareholder accountability, profitability etc.) and get to know them as a person, their characteristics, their values, simply their likes and dislikes,” Dawn explained.

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Ria De Gooijer
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Let's be honest readers of BP: all these awful sad stories must be happening in the USA. This is not normal behaviour anywhere else in the world.

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Libstak
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

WTF are we slaves or people? One request every 5 years, like anyone with 1/2 a brain would hang around that long.

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Moreover, “working together with your manager and reassuring them you want to produce high-quality results and meet their expectations and how best you can achieve this will take the pressure from them.” In turn, you feel more productive, self-sufficient, and independent.

Asking lots of questions about their expectations and concerns and how you can address or improve is also a way to deal with a micromanaging boss, Dawn says. She encourages everyone “to ask for feedback and regular 121s as this will help improve communication between the manager and the employee. It will help build confidence and trust.”

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Felice Coles
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

God Almighty, the medical field is stretched to the breaking point. All these monstrous bosses.

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Felice Coles
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"How about I move my dad's coffin into your office while I'm waiting for my time off?"

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Roadkill The Brave
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a miscarriage and was trying to call out of work while driving home from the doctor on no pain meds because what they wanted to give me didn't work. I was told they were sorry but I had to come in, one of my other co-workers who was pregnant had called out due to her excessive morning sickness. There were only 3 of us in the back so I drove to work and worked through my entire miscarriage that week. I'm not upset with the other woman, she's still a friend to this day and I adore her daughter, I was pissed at one of my bosses for not going back there and helping out the one in the back because both of them knew how to do the job. Needless to say I was silent the entire week, in extreme pain, and a total emotional wreck. I will give them this much they left me alone and handled all customer interactions. That entire mess still haunts me.

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Eric Cestero
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in some cases for organ transplant, if the patient had to be prepared with chemo (like in blood cancers), if you reschedule, the patient will probably die. I donated a liter of bone marrow and was told several times, you have until this date, after that date, if you go back on your promise to donate, the child will die. I obviously did the surgery to donate (it was not stem cells but the older collection style) and my boss wanted me back at work asap.

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over it already
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Turning it around on the nun using strict religious interpretation and logic in a way that (theoretically) would make it impossible for the nun to deny the time off. Edit: & the typo makes it hard to read. I believe instead of "sum it" OP intended to write "submit."

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Melanie Rose
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Screw that! Nobody is going to trick me into cancelling anything that is that important. You can always find another job where they actually care about you and the important things in your life.

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't get the "trick question". It's an easy question with an easy answer: Blood is thicker than water, so now you know what I will prioritize.

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Lisa Reuss
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, who cancels their honeymoon to work? Because a nun made her feel guilty? I don't understand this. I'm still shaking my head.

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CelticElff
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"since I am to sum it" should read "since I am to SUBMIT to my husband". I like the way you think, Msumissa!

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Debby Marengo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She 'would have' replied - so she didn't reply? They canceled their honeymoon - so she didn't get married? She did get married? She's married to a fictional character? This person needs help telling her story.

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Tony Berna
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can get an open FMLA exception for chronic migraines. Worked with a gal who suffered from them.

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