American Boss Can’t Comprehend European Annual Leave Rules, Gets Put In Her Place

Motivating your employees is difficult, but demotivating them is fairly easy. Two of the signs of a truly great boss are that they’ll treat you with respect and honor their agreements with you. Bad bosses, on the other hand, will try to micromanage you, shame you for having a life outside of work, and for taking time off.

Internet user u/FMLitsSML went massively viral on the Mildly Infuriating online group after sharing how her new boss had a problem with her taking a lot of time off, as mandated by her work contract, and reported her to human resources. Scroll down to read how things turned out, and to see how the internet reacted to such an unjust situation. Bored Panda has gotten in touch with the author of the post, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.

Unfortunately, some bosses don’t understand the value of work-life balance and get upset when their staff go on vacation

American boss in a suit, engaged in a video call at the office.

Image credits: Drazen Zigic (not the actual photo)

An employee opened up about how taking paid time off resulted in her new boss reporting her to human resources

Text about an American boss reporting a European employee to HR for taking 11 days of PTO.

American boss emails employee about excessive PTO usage and future HR discussion.

European employee explains PTO usage to American boss in a message about annual leave habits.

European employee in an office meeting, wearing glasses and a suit, focused on a digital tablet.

Image credits: DC Studio (not the actual photo)

Text exchange about PTO and annual leave days between boss and European employee.

Text exchange about PTO between boss and employee, with boss referring issue to HR.

American boss and European employee discuss PTO and HR leave terms via text exchange.

American boss and European employee discussing PTO at a table with coffee cups, in a brightly lit office setting.

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

Text image about a European employee's HR discussion regarding PTO and a salary agreement with extra holidays.

Text excerpt discussing an American boss and European employee's PTO and HR issues.

Text exchange about HR decision on PTO request, mentioning baby photos.

Image credits: FMLitsSML

Well-rested and highly motivated workers are good for the entire business

It’s probably clear to everyone that allowing your employees to use their paid time off is incredibly important. Not only does this set you up as a reliable, trustworthy company that honors its contracts, but it’s in the business’s best interest for everyone to be motivated, happy, healthy, and well-rested.

To put it simply, a healthy work-life balance is a win-win for employees and managers alike. For one, workers who see purpose beyond their jobs and know that they’re being supported no matter what they do are bound to be more loyal to their bosses and stick around longer.

On top of that, people feel energized after spending time with their loved ones, doing the activities that they’re passionate about, and disconnecting from their work emails. And when they get back to the office, they’re more driven, creative, and capable. That leads to better collaboration and results. This, in turn, leads to more profits for the company.

On the flip side, demotivated workers who are stuck in a toxic workplace environment, have to deal with micromanaging and unempathetic bosses, and feel unappreciated are more likely to start looking for better prospects elsewhere. Or they’ll emotionally detach from their jobs, not seeing the point of even trying to do better, leading to a stagnating career and worse results for the company as a whole.

At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for communicating and enforcing our boundaries when it comes to work. If a superior tries to shame you for going on holiday, you can bring the issue you have with this attitude up with them directly, talk to HR, or go speak with their boss. Alternatively, you can reach out to your labor union rep for advice on how best to proceed.

Chronic problems at work can snowball and lead to burnout, which includes exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy

If you’re unable to get on the same page and the workplace culture is genuinely toxic, it might be best to start looking for a new job (while also considering taking legal action if your rights as a worker have been breached).

The Harvard Business Review notes that there are three main components to burnout, as determined by psychologist Christina Maslach, from the University of California, Berkeley. These are physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.

Generally, exhaustion lies at the core of burnout. Exhausted employees feel irritable and frustrated and struggle to enforce healthy boundaries both at work and in other parts of their lives. They often find it hard to feel positive about the tasks they have to do at work.

Next, those same employees start to grow more cynical and less engaged at work, distancing themselves from what they do due to unclear expectations, unfair workloads, constant conflict, a lack of meaningful recognition, and a lack of feedback.

The end result? Inefficacy, where the workers notice that their skills aren’t as sharp anymore and they start blaming themselves, thinking that they’re incompetent.

While these three components are often found together, which ones are the most prominent will depend entirely on the person in question and their circumstances.

It’s essential to get proper rest during the work week, not just when you go on vacation

While going on holiday is absolutely fantastic and should be encouraged, getting proper rest during the work week is also vital. Resting after work might not be the same as taking time off, but it has a massive impact on how you feel, how well you perform, and how motivated you are. Sleep deprivation is utterly horrible for your physical, mental, and emotional health.

The Cleveland Clinic notes that sleeping just 1.5 hours less one night already hurts both your immune and cardiovascular systems. Sleep deprivation leads to memory problems, issues with alertness, moodiness, etc.

In the long term, sleep deprivation leads to forgetfulness, slow reaction times, anxiety, and depression, among other things, including a greater risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.

Big Health suggests that one of the ways you can allow your employees to get better rest and fight back against poor sleep is to have flexible but regular work schedules. That way, your staff can work during their most productive hours while also establishing regular sleep patterns for the best focus and energy.

Meanwhile, managers can promote better work-life balance and boundaries by encouraging their employees to disconnect from work to get proper mental rest. For example, you could discourage late-night emails or working (unpaid) overtime.

Moreover, some companies actually have designated nap rooms where their workers can rest and recharge during the day so they’re more focused. (However, one issue with this is that it can blur the line between work and rest. Not to mention that it’s awkward to sleep at the office.)

What are your thoughts on the entire situation, dear Pandas? Have you ever worked under someone who has had issues with you taking paid time off? How did you handle the situation? What advice would you give people who are completely new to the job industry to help them stand up for themselves and find a proper work-life balance? We’d love to hear from you!

Later, the author shared a few more details about what happened, in the comments of her post

Text exchange discussing European employee and UK rights with an American boss.

Reddit discussion about European employee's PTO and American boss involving HR concerns.

Some readers shared similar stories about holidays and taking paid time off

Text discussing American boss handling European employee's PTO in an interview setting.

Text from European employee about taking PTO, asserting that time off is informed, not requested.

European employee comments on automatic leave approval policy, contrasting with American boss approach.

Text about American employee using sick days and HR response.

Text discussing cultural differences in PTO policies between American bosses and European employees.

Here’s how some internet users reacted to the mind-boggling situation

Reddit comment about American boss and European employee's annual leave misunderstanding.

Comment satirizing an American boss's reaction to European PTO standards.

Text expressing European employee's view on American PTO policies, citing UK law and maternity leave rights.

Text discussing HR involvement in European employee's PTO request with American boss.

European employee comments on PTO rules humorously on a forum.

Overseas boss lacks understanding of European employee rights, sparking debate on workplace management.

Comment on American boss and European employee's HR visit about PTO with text: 'Wait, you guys have rights?

Comment discussing American managers' views on employee time off.

Poll Question

Total votes ·

Thanks! Check out the results:

Total votes ·

Newsletter

Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls

Subscribe

By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!