An employee found himself in a difficult position when his boss told him to cancel his vacation, and he offered the perfect response.
Vacation days are one of the simple pleasures in life - you work hard all year round and then get to ignore work for a little while, maybe even in a different country.
As a boss, a quick way to get into your employee's bad books is by agreeing to vacation requests and then taking them back at the last minute.
For any bosses out there... don't do that.
In this instance, the text exchange between the employee, identified as Noel, and his boss, Nick, has sparked outrage online after being shared by Michael Sanz, a business owner and outsourcing expert who often hears about workers' experiences with difficult bosses.
In the viral conversation posted on TikTok, Nick informed Noel that his scheduled time off for the following week had been canceled due to another staff member resigning. Nick claimed it would be "all hands on deck" while they searched for a replacement.
"We can push back a few months. I’ve advised HR it’s now changed for you. Appreciate your understanding," Nick wrote, seemingly without considering Noel's prior commitments.
Reacting to the exchange, Sanz commented in the video: "This guy sounds like a tool. He’s automatically canceling leave without any conversation."
Noel explained in his response that he couldn't cancel his leave as he had already made arrangements for his brother's wedding in Bali, with flights and family commitments booked seven months in advance.
Despite this, Nick audaciously suggested reducing Noel's leave from three weeks to three days, questioning what he could possibly do for three weeks in Bali.
Sanz criticized Nick's response, stating: "Not sure what you can do for three weeks in Bali haha," noting that the boss appeared to be treating the situation lightly.
Noel expressed his frustration, stating: "It’s a family trip, we haven’t been together in years and I haven’t had annual leave in 3 years. It’s also no one’s business how I spend my leave."
The final text from Nick, reiterating the cancellation of Noel's leave, was condemned by Sanz as "appalling," prompting Noel to decide he no longer wanted to work for the company.
In a bold move, Noel informed Nick that he would begin his leave "from today" and would reconsider whether the company, which failed to respect his boundaries, was where he wanted to work.
Sanz praised Noel's handling of the situation, emphasizing that workers should not have to justify taking their annual leave.
Following the incident, Noel reached out to Sanz to thank him and his followers for their support, revealing that he went ahead with his Bali trip and returned to find management distant. He subsequently found a new job with better pay.
Bosses... take note!
