Boss Lies To New Hire About Accommodating Her Vacation Request, Is Flabbergasted When She Quits On The Spot
For many exhausted employees out there, a well-deserved break from their jobs sounds like a dream. Nearly everyone knows there’s nothing like taking some time off to travel, unwind, and spend time with loved ones to reflect on what life is all about. Sadly, things take a different turn when unreasonable employers decide to shatter our hopes and deny our requests.
A couple of days ago, a deeply confused manager going by the name of Artistic-Comment20 took his story to the AITA subreddit to ask fellow members for advice about an issue he had with his new hire’s vacation request.
Last week, the user welcomed a new employee to the team who was clear about a non-refundable vacation she planned to take even before getting hired. “I told her that I did the schedule and would try to accommodate her,” the manager wrote. “I couldn’t accommodate her at all.” When he wondered whether he was wrong to go back on his words, people online quickly weighed in with their opinions, and they did not hold back. Read on for the whole story!
Before taking on a new job, a worker wanted to make sure her non-refundable $2500 trip would be accommodated for
Image credits: LinkedIn Sales Solutions
But apparently, the manager believes new hires are last in line for vacation time, so he decided to go back on his word and deny her request
Image credits: Kate Hliznitsova
As of today, Artistic-Comment20’s story has amassed more than 24K upvotes and nearly 5K comments. Members of the AITA community found it hard to believe the manager really had to turn to the internet to find out they were completely wrong in this situation. Redditors were quick to criticize the user’s behavior and applaud Lacey for standing up for herself instead of staying at a company where promises mean nothing.
Surprisingly, this post gained a lot of attention on other platforms as well. It was picked up by a member of the Anti Work subreddit, Shea, who shared Artistic-Comment20’s story with the community. This online group is dedicated to people who “want to end work, are curious about ending work, [and] want to get the most out of a work-free life,” and often serves as the perfect outlet to air out their grievances.
We managed to get in touch with Shea to hear her take on this whole incident. The user told Bored Panda she found the story appalling, “Such a blatant disregard for a previous agreement, and then he honestly didn’t understand why his promise mattered. It was shocking, in a bad way.”
Shea guessed that one reason behind his behavior was that we have been taught that work equals life. “The manager was probably raised to sacrifice it all for that promotion or office. He’s probably never considered … what is the point of all this work if there is no life behind it.”
Although we hear plenty of troubling stories about irrational bosses and their unreasonable demands, there’s a growing number of employees who decide to take a stance on what’s meaningful in their life. “I think it’s important to remember our collective bargaining power, when we share stories like these, I feel it emboldens others,” Shea said.
“There’s a political cartoon I saw where a group of people is standing on a board so that a politician can stand over a cliff,” she continued. “They are using their collective weight to hold him up. That’s us. We are those people, and all it takes is one person to step off the board. Just one can shift the power so drastically that the politician falls. That’s what we need.”
By packing up her desk and handing in her resignation letter, Lacey is an example of that. However, employers are starting a running trend of shaming people like her by declaring that “no one wants to work”. The truth is that millions of employees actually want to work, they just have had enough of being overworked, underpaid, and undervalued by their companies.
According to recent research, almost half of American workers are considering walking away from their jobs, so we might hear a lot more stories like this one. The 2022 Workplace Belonging Survey, commissioned by Ipsos on behalf of researcher Dr. Rumeet Billan, found that employees who are thinking about making the switch lack a sense of belonging in their current workplace. Usually, these feelings come from encountering disrespect from management and coworkers.
“More than 19 million American workers have quit their jobs since April 2021, disrupting businesses everywhere. Companies cannot afford to continue going through this type of employee turnover,” Dr. Billan explained. “Now, more than ever, companies and employers must take a more human-centered approach to how they support, communicate, and engage with their employees.”
Well, we often hear accusatory whispers floating around that companies have exploited their workers for decades with poor wages, heavy workloads, and absurd expectations. But these whispers are getting louder, proving that employees are at a breaking point. Shea shared that in her eyes, the anti-work movement is not about loving or hating your job. “It’s about how your job isn’t and shouldn’t be your life,” she said.
People were quick to criticize the manager’s actions, here’s what they had to say
Bosses of the world, repeat after me: I do not own my employees... I do not own my employees... I do not own my employees... I do not own my employees...
100%. I actually had a job do this to me too, with exactly the same result. I told them what hours I couldn't work because of childcare and they said absolutely fine... but then scheduled me for those hours. I essentially quit before I even started, and was lucky to get a much better offer right away, and they respected the hours I needed not to be there
Come on dude....did you really need the internet to tell you that you were totally the a*****e??? She informed you of her vacation, you offered the job anyway and then think that she was going to stay for you. That's horrible business practice and you should be demoted for wasting company time and resources.
Yup YTA.. Im glad in the UK a new job has to "honour" time already booked off before accepting the job
Totally different culture, isn't it? My boss (UK) ends up nagging me every year to TAKE my holiday because I've usually got quite a bit outstanding.
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The Pseudo Psychic PeachPossum predicts more surprises in your future: Lacey filing a lawsuit against you and your employer for breach of contract, your employer handing you a pink slip, and your fiancé launching her engagement ring at your head. YTA, dude, in spades and have Schiffer brains.
He is protected though. If he said he would "try* to accommodate her then he didn't say he would. This is the bull manipulative people pull to make you think they are in your corner so when they tell you no later you give up and thank them for royally screwing you
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The first thing you did when you hired her, was lie to her. Great start. You had no intention of accommodating her whatsoever. You saw the talent she had, and just had to hire her, no matter what. Shame on you. You should be sacked. Lacey, you go lady !
Had this happen to me as well. It was a retail, part-time job, but one I had been with for a few years. Told my boss in advance that I was planning on a trip to New York, she approved the dates. I booked the flight, handed her my itinerary so she would have a copy. Two weeks before my trip, my boss says I have to come in for inventory and it's happening when I'd be in NY. I told her this, also reminded her I gave her advance notice and she approved it. She responds by cutting my hours and when I call to ask about it, she proceeds to fire me. I was not a bad employee, everyone else loved me. *shrugs* oh well. Peace out.
YTA. This guy actually thinks that Lacey is going to walk away from $2500 when she has another job lined up. He’s so out of touch that he might be job searching himself soon.
Definitely, the AH because you lied to her. You never had any intention of accomodating her and this quote proves it. "if you start a new job, you understand that you are last in line for vacation" Before she accepted the job you should have checked to see if the time spot was open and if it was, immediately place her on the schedule or if not, tell her you could not accommodate her so she can choose another job. You didn't do either and that makes you a lousy manager and a big-time AH. She was right to quit on the spot and I hope your boss gives you the dressing down you deserve.
Two questions. 1: you do realize that the words “employee” and “slave” are not even close to being in the same ballpark, right? They’re not on the same planet - they’re not in the same galaxy. 2: you also do realize, I hope, that slavery is very, very wrong and is rightfully frowned upon by every moral human being on the face of this planet? This isn’t the way, my friend, these days what you did there is called “lying” and you - GASP - sometimes get called out on it. It’s so hard to get good servants these days, now isn’t it? Fúck you.
I'm glad our office just shuts down for July, every year. No shuffling vacation slots. Mind you, there's only 10 of us but still.
YTA. If you want your employee to cancel their already-booked holiday that was an agreed condition of job acceptance, then you have to reimburse them for their financial loss. If you don't then they understand that you are inconsiderate of commitments outside work, you don't value them as individuals worth of honesty and respect, and you can't be relied on to keep your word. Why would anyone want to work for you? Half the other employees are probrably seriously evaluating their options, especially if OP's been bitching about it and bad-mouthing the new hire.
One job I went for I had exactly the same request. I would not give up my vacation. My boss said 'you wont get paid for that' I was OK with that I did not expect to. He accepted it and so did I went down well. If he had done what this jerk did I would have quit too! He lied, and got her to work on false pretenses. Would not want to work for him.
So did anyone suggest a third option? If Lacey was SO indispensable, show her by refunding her vacation money. Bet that never happens
Wife started a new job at a restaurant with the same stipulation: I had a vacation planned months in advance and it’s way harder for me to schedule time off. She called me in tears said her boss changed his mind about it. “Give me your apron and stuff.” I said. I went in and asked to speak to the manager. I explained that we would be going on vacation and if he approved my wife would be in tomorrow. Otherwise here is her stuff and I will pick up her final paycheck on Friday. He muttered that he misunderstood the situation and of course she could have time off. Bad managers like being able to push kids around. They don’t do so well with adults who don’t have to take their abuse.
I asked the same thing of a boss prior to hiring me he told me to go on my vacation and then come back and start working for them. So instead of starting work in January i took my vacation and when i came back i started working in february.
Dude could have been saved if he had stated his vacation policy when she told him about her plans. Having that policy and not telling a new hire who needed to know was dishonest.
Why did he even have to ask if was TAH? How is someone so ignorant in a position of management?
100% AH. - You (meaning the manager) are a liar and thief on top of being an a*****e. Everything about you is petty and insignificant. You are so far beneath the rest of us morally, you need a telescope to find an ethical anchor from which to redeem yourself.
YTA but also a fool for thinking that people will just roll over because they are new. Your plans don’t matter cause you just started little ‘girl.’ She told you before hand and you made it seem like it was fine, then you casually was like oops nvm can’t do it. Well the irony is your going to do it one way or another. Just not in your favor. Make better decisions next time and always keep your word.
"If you start a new job, you are last for a vacation" Who's a*s are you pulling that c**p out of?
I did that in the 1970s (also an easy job market). I had pre-booked a month off because I had a trip to Europe coming up. Two weeks before, my manager told me he couldn't accommodate it anymore because of yada yada yada. I simply handed in that two week's notice, cleared my desk, handed in whatever I needed to hand over, and went on my holidays and had a wonderful time! There were any number of jobs awaiting me when I got back.
WOW. This idiot actually had to ask? Of COURSE YTA! No question whatsoever. You literally LIED to this employee after she was honest enough to be up front with you. You have absolutely no business being in a management position.
Wow... I... had no idea that real people were honestly this clueless. "I set up an expectation and gave my word on one thing - then 100% didn't do it 'just because', which screwed that person over, and I knew it would screw them over. Am I wrong?" - well, uhh... wtf, how stupid are you that you need to ask? Oh wait... you did it in the first place.. so... probably... rather stupid...
Definitely, YTA. And so are a large number of commenters. Any relationship, even employment, should be a game of compromise to meet both party's needs. If you can't meet at an acceptable point, you walk. Most of the commenters here seem to think the employer should just roll over and that makes for just as bad of a situation as the reverse.
The employer could have a) checked to see if anyone had booked those dates and/or b) explained that, as a rookie, Lacey might not get those dates, or c) thought for a minute, "hey, if I hadn't filled this position, I'd be short handed then anyway, but if I accommodate Lacey along with whoever already claimed the dates, I get to be fully staffed afterward with a new person who appreciates my looking out for her." If you really can't give her the dates, say so up front so you don't waste her time and HR's time and make yourself look like a crappy manager. The whole "back of the line" thing is a power play out of the '70s, and it belongs there, with double knits, trans fats and CFCs.
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Not just an a*****e but a proper incompetent c**t who shouldn’t manage at all!
It's funny how they posted their story thinking that people would defend this behavior.
Of course he's TAH. He can attempt to rationalize it all he wants but he's a terrible manager and he absolutely deserves be called out by his boss and his wife. I had this exact situation come up just out of college and the hiring manager didn't even give approving it a second thought. Lterally the only "negative" thing she said was that it would just push my 90 trial period by a week. Perfectly reasonable. He sounds like one of those terrible low level managers I always used to despise working with. No real power within the company, so they take any chance they can to throw around what little power they do have.
Hmmmm.....manager basically screws company out of an employee and doesn't understand why they are being called into boss's office. I hope the manager gets fired. Being misleading is a big thing here in the united states. I have accepted a few jobs that promised limited overtime then worked us seven days a week and I quit those jobs because I made it clear, employer gets 50-55 hours, family gets the rest.
Boss: I flat-out lied to my new employee and she called me out on it and I told her to suck it up, buttercup, and now I’m shocked, SHOCKED I tell you!, that she quit on the spot. Golly gee whiz, Reddit, how could I possibly be in the wrong here????
People can take time off whenever they want, new hires might just not have accrued *paid* time off.
I feel like some of these questions are fake. The guy came on to Reddit to ask if he was arsehole knowing full well he’s an arsehole.
You'd be surprised how many people really don't know.
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NTA. She's not a team player. The company comes first. Signed, CEO (from yacht in the Mediterranean)
How in your writing do you say he went back on a promise though? Just because people support the worker?? I would have quit too. However, saying "I will do my best to accommodate you" and "I promise you will get your time off" those are 2 completely different statements. Just noticed you said the OP went back on a promise.
That was his version of the conversation. We never heard hers. And he understood the parameters of her acceptance, just tried to be cute and found out it wouldn't play.
Load More Replies... Bosses of the world, repeat after me: I do not own my employees... I do not own my employees... I do not own my employees... I do not own my employees...
100%. I actually had a job do this to me too, with exactly the same result. I told them what hours I couldn't work because of childcare and they said absolutely fine... but then scheduled me for those hours. I essentially quit before I even started, and was lucky to get a much better offer right away, and they respected the hours I needed not to be there
Come on dude....did you really need the internet to tell you that you were totally the a*****e??? She informed you of her vacation, you offered the job anyway and then think that she was going to stay for you. That's horrible business practice and you should be demoted for wasting company time and resources.
Yup YTA.. Im glad in the UK a new job has to "honour" time already booked off before accepting the job
Totally different culture, isn't it? My boss (UK) ends up nagging me every year to TAKE my holiday because I've usually got quite a bit outstanding.
Load More Replies... The Pseudo Psychic PeachPossum predicts more surprises in your future: Lacey filing a lawsuit against you and your employer for breach of contract, your employer handing you a pink slip, and your fiancé launching her engagement ring at your head. YTA, dude, in spades and have Schiffer brains.
He is protected though. If he said he would "try* to accommodate her then he didn't say he would. This is the bull manipulative people pull to make you think they are in your corner so when they tell you no later you give up and thank them for royally screwing you
Load More Replies... The first thing you did when you hired her, was lie to her. Great start. You had no intention of accommodating her whatsoever. You saw the talent she had, and just had to hire her, no matter what. Shame on you. You should be sacked. Lacey, you go lady !
Had this happen to me as well. It was a retail, part-time job, but one I had been with for a few years. Told my boss in advance that I was planning on a trip to New York, she approved the dates. I booked the flight, handed her my itinerary so she would have a copy. Two weeks before my trip, my boss says I have to come in for inventory and it's happening when I'd be in NY. I told her this, also reminded her I gave her advance notice and she approved it. She responds by cutting my hours and when I call to ask about it, she proceeds to fire me. I was not a bad employee, everyone else loved me. *shrugs* oh well. Peace out.
YTA. This guy actually thinks that Lacey is going to walk away from $2500 when she has another job lined up. He’s so out of touch that he might be job searching himself soon.
Definitely, the AH because you lied to her. You never had any intention of accomodating her and this quote proves it. "if you start a new job, you understand that you are last in line for vacation" Before she accepted the job you should have checked to see if the time spot was open and if it was, immediately place her on the schedule or if not, tell her you could not accommodate her so she can choose another job. You didn't do either and that makes you a lousy manager and a big-time AH. She was right to quit on the spot and I hope your boss gives you the dressing down you deserve.
Two questions. 1: you do realize that the words “employee” and “slave” are not even close to being in the same ballpark, right? They’re not on the same planet - they’re not in the same galaxy. 2: you also do realize, I hope, that slavery is very, very wrong and is rightfully frowned upon by every moral human being on the face of this planet? This isn’t the way, my friend, these days what you did there is called “lying” and you - GASP - sometimes get called out on it. It’s so hard to get good servants these days, now isn’t it? Fúck you.
I'm glad our office just shuts down for July, every year. No shuffling vacation slots. Mind you, there's only 10 of us but still.
YTA. If you want your employee to cancel their already-booked holiday that was an agreed condition of job acceptance, then you have to reimburse them for their financial loss. If you don't then they understand that you are inconsiderate of commitments outside work, you don't value them as individuals worth of honesty and respect, and you can't be relied on to keep your word. Why would anyone want to work for you? Half the other employees are probrably seriously evaluating their options, especially if OP's been bitching about it and bad-mouthing the new hire.
One job I went for I had exactly the same request. I would not give up my vacation. My boss said 'you wont get paid for that' I was OK with that I did not expect to. He accepted it and so did I went down well. If he had done what this jerk did I would have quit too! He lied, and got her to work on false pretenses. Would not want to work for him.
So did anyone suggest a third option? If Lacey was SO indispensable, show her by refunding her vacation money. Bet that never happens
Wife started a new job at a restaurant with the same stipulation: I had a vacation planned months in advance and it’s way harder for me to schedule time off. She called me in tears said her boss changed his mind about it. “Give me your apron and stuff.” I said. I went in and asked to speak to the manager. I explained that we would be going on vacation and if he approved my wife would be in tomorrow. Otherwise here is her stuff and I will pick up her final paycheck on Friday. He muttered that he misunderstood the situation and of course she could have time off. Bad managers like being able to push kids around. They don’t do so well with adults who don’t have to take their abuse.
I asked the same thing of a boss prior to hiring me he told me to go on my vacation and then come back and start working for them. So instead of starting work in January i took my vacation and when i came back i started working in february.
Dude could have been saved if he had stated his vacation policy when she told him about her plans. Having that policy and not telling a new hire who needed to know was dishonest.
Why did he even have to ask if was TAH? How is someone so ignorant in a position of management?
100% AH. - You (meaning the manager) are a liar and thief on top of being an a*****e. Everything about you is petty and insignificant. You are so far beneath the rest of us morally, you need a telescope to find an ethical anchor from which to redeem yourself.
YTA but also a fool for thinking that people will just roll over because they are new. Your plans don’t matter cause you just started little ‘girl.’ She told you before hand and you made it seem like it was fine, then you casually was like oops nvm can’t do it. Well the irony is your going to do it one way or another. Just not in your favor. Make better decisions next time and always keep your word.
"If you start a new job, you are last for a vacation" Who's a*s are you pulling that c**p out of?
I did that in the 1970s (also an easy job market). I had pre-booked a month off because I had a trip to Europe coming up. Two weeks before, my manager told me he couldn't accommodate it anymore because of yada yada yada. I simply handed in that two week's notice, cleared my desk, handed in whatever I needed to hand over, and went on my holidays and had a wonderful time! There were any number of jobs awaiting me when I got back.
WOW. This idiot actually had to ask? Of COURSE YTA! No question whatsoever. You literally LIED to this employee after she was honest enough to be up front with you. You have absolutely no business being in a management position.
Wow... I... had no idea that real people were honestly this clueless. "I set up an expectation and gave my word on one thing - then 100% didn't do it 'just because', which screwed that person over, and I knew it would screw them over. Am I wrong?" - well, uhh... wtf, how stupid are you that you need to ask? Oh wait... you did it in the first place.. so... probably... rather stupid...
Definitely, YTA. And so are a large number of commenters. Any relationship, even employment, should be a game of compromise to meet both party's needs. If you can't meet at an acceptable point, you walk. Most of the commenters here seem to think the employer should just roll over and that makes for just as bad of a situation as the reverse.
The employer could have a) checked to see if anyone had booked those dates and/or b) explained that, as a rookie, Lacey might not get those dates, or c) thought for a minute, "hey, if I hadn't filled this position, I'd be short handed then anyway, but if I accommodate Lacey along with whoever already claimed the dates, I get to be fully staffed afterward with a new person who appreciates my looking out for her." If you really can't give her the dates, say so up front so you don't waste her time and HR's time and make yourself look like a crappy manager. The whole "back of the line" thing is a power play out of the '70s, and it belongs there, with double knits, trans fats and CFCs.
Load More Replies... Not just an a*****e but a proper incompetent c**t who shouldn’t manage at all!
It's funny how they posted their story thinking that people would defend this behavior.
Of course he's TAH. He can attempt to rationalize it all he wants but he's a terrible manager and he absolutely deserves be called out by his boss and his wife. I had this exact situation come up just out of college and the hiring manager didn't even give approving it a second thought. Lterally the only "negative" thing she said was that it would just push my 90 trial period by a week. Perfectly reasonable. He sounds like one of those terrible low level managers I always used to despise working with. No real power within the company, so they take any chance they can to throw around what little power they do have.
Hmmmm.....manager basically screws company out of an employee and doesn't understand why they are being called into boss's office. I hope the manager gets fired. Being misleading is a big thing here in the united states. I have accepted a few jobs that promised limited overtime then worked us seven days a week and I quit those jobs because I made it clear, employer gets 50-55 hours, family gets the rest.
Boss: I flat-out lied to my new employee and she called me out on it and I told her to suck it up, buttercup, and now I’m shocked, SHOCKED I tell you!, that she quit on the spot. Golly gee whiz, Reddit, how could I possibly be in the wrong here????
People can take time off whenever they want, new hires might just not have accrued *paid* time off.
I feel like some of these questions are fake. The guy came on to Reddit to ask if he was arsehole knowing full well he’s an arsehole.
You'd be surprised how many people really don't know.
Load More Replies... NTA. She's not a team player. The company comes first. Signed, CEO (from yacht in the Mediterranean)
How in your writing do you say he went back on a promise though? Just because people support the worker?? I would have quit too. However, saying "I will do my best to accommodate you" and "I promise you will get your time off" those are 2 completely different statements. Just noticed you said the OP went back on a promise.
That was his version of the conversation. We never heard hers. And he understood the parameters of her acceptance, just tried to be cute and found out it wouldn't play.
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