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PTO advice, please!

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PTO advice, please!

I need some advice. My company has a flexible time off policy and the policy states employees should plan to take 3-4 weeks off per year. It’s almost the end of April and I have not taken any time off yet this year. (My boss has taken 5 days, keep that in your back pocket.) I put in for PTO for some important life events that are going to require me taking long weekends (2 days in May, 3 days in June and 2 days in August). My boss came to me today and said he’s unsure if he can approve my time off because he’s not sure if we will have “coverage.” I’m his only team member, so when he takes time off, I’m his coverage and I assumed he would be mine. One of the events is my grandmother’s 100th birthday which I would be devastated to miss. I should also note my boss expects me to work outside of my regularly scheduled work hours as well so I’m already feeling burnt out. I also do not have the kind of job that would normally require around the clock work. I’m not sure what to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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  1. Barb Hansen

    If I was feeling a bit spicy, I’d schedule a meeting with my boss and say something like:

    “I want to clarify expectations around time off. These dates aren’t optional for me and I won’t be available on those days. Vacation time is part of my compensation, not a favor granted by management, especially in a company that explicitly tells employees to take 3–4 weeks off a year. Have I misunderstood my compensation package, and are vacation days a gift only granted when the stars align?

    If I wasn’t feeling spicy (or wanted to keep things more collaborative), I’d still schedule the meeting but frame it like this:

    “I want to make sure we’re aligned on expectations around time off. I’ll be unavailable on these dates, and I’m happy to work with you to ensure coverage is in place. I want to make sure we have a solid coverage plan. I'm happy to document my work, train you, or help bring in temporary support so things run smoothly.”

  2. Anonymous

    I vote for the collaborative approach. A temp is a good idea if a colleague can’t step in.

  3. QueenOfNumbers

    I vote for spicy!

  4. Anonymous

    Remind him of the company policy and politely tell him you are giving him plenty of notice to arrange for coverage. Let him know you should be afforded the same benefits everyone in the company enjoys. Make sure to escalate to HR if he pushes back.

  5. Anonymous

    Your requests are entirely reasonable, you have applied well in advance and the problem with “coverage” is the company’s, not yours.

    Politely stand up for yourself, especially for your Grandmother’s 100th birthday. Your grandmother’s milestone birthday can’t be rescheduled and she is at an advanced age, making this celebration especially significant. Your boss and your company need to respect this date. As others have mentioned, escalate to HR or senior management.

    What you might have to do to lock in your Grandmother’s birthday: let one of the other days slide. What is certainly needed is to work out a system where you get your 3-4 weeks of vacation, including especially meaningful dates. If your boss can’t cover is someone from another department available?

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