No one likes to lose their paid time off, whether they were wanting to take it or they were asking to be paid for days they weren’t going to have the opportunity to take.
OP put in his two-weeks notice and realized he had 55 hours of PTO remaining.
At my last job I given them notice, and I had assumed they’d cut me a check for the 55 hours of PTO I had left over.
But no, they said I would lose it if I don’t use it.
After they told him he wouldn’t be paid for those hours, OP obviously scheduled his PTO during his remaining two weeks.
So I went ahead and used my PTO for the last 55 hours I was scheduled to work because I wasn’t about to waste that.
The unfairness of it all started to get to him, though, so he devised a way to exact a little bit of revenge in the process.
But then I remembered a time a few weeks back.
I had taken PTO, but then I had worked about 30 minutes into my PTO. I ended up earning time and half, as with my PTO + 30 minutes of extra work.
I enjoyed my co-workers, I wouldn’t working…
Knowing what happened if you worked during your PTO – it resulted in time and a half – he innocently called and asked his boss if they could use the help. When he said yes, OP worked the hours he was supposed to be off.
So I sent an email to my manager: “Hey Mark, I know we are a bit understaffed and I know I took PTO already, but I wouldn’t mind working anyway, is that OK to work?”
Mark responds: “Yes, we’d be happy to have you.”
My hourly rate was $25 at that point, time and half puts me at $37.50, which I was fine with earning.
So come my second hour of Thursday I will be earning time and half.
His boss could only laugh when OP’s paycheck went through, and now every employee after him will get paid for those hours if they leave before they’re used.
So I worked, had fun.
Come Monday after my last day my old boss calls me and says “Did you work 135 hours last pay period?”
Me: “No, I worked 80 hours, and I used 55 hours of PTO”
Him: “Cause, like your overtime pay put us over budget”
Me: “yea, that sucks…you did say I was good to work despite the fact I had scheduled PTO right?”
Him: “Um…I did…”
Me: “Yea, thanks”
He starts laughing.
Yes I got paid.
Company now pays out PTO when you quit because of me.
In the end they paid me $2,062 in overtime pay plus the 80 hours I worked earned me $2,000. So typically 80 hours of work would cost them $2,000, but because they wouldn’t pay me out my PTO they ended up paying double, when they could have just cut me a check for $1,375 and saved $700.
Essentially in their effort to rip me off my benefit, I made them pay $700 for their greed.
I made sure to get permission to come to work, despite the fact that I had already scheduled my PTO.
FYI previously in another interaction I was told once PTO was approved…it can’t be canceled.
What a great idea!
The top comment says sometimes you have to call their bluff.
They recommend getting a lawyer as a friend.
Apparently this practice is frowned upon, though.
Just in case you were confused on how this was possible.
Maybe it’s time that law changes.
If companies would just do the best thing by their employees, none of this would happen.
We’re all out here trying to cobble a life together, people!
If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.