Having to ask permission to take a few days off, maybe to solve an important personal issue or just to avoid burnout, can be a bit nerve-racking and in this case, even humiliating.

A man politely asked for a 5-day leave, was granted it, and then got told it wouldn’t be possible anymore…

Well, he had already bought tickets and made plans, so when an opportunity to be away for an even longer period appeared, he took it.

Let’s read this satisfying story.

Boss didn’t want to approve a short leave. So instead I availed a long one.

I work with a large organization that has multiple branches in every state across the country.

I am the head of one such branch.

My boss, the Regional Manager, controls around 15 such branches in a region cluster.

During August this year, I had asked my boss for a 5-day leave for September, which he had promptly granted.

I then informed HR about it, suggesting he temporarily arrange for somebody to run my branch for the week.

This was required because due to some corporate directives, some of the branches including mine could not run without a branch head being physically present in the office.

Enabling someone from inside the branch to substitute for me wasn’t possible due to technicalities.

He had a good plan and was playing according to the company’s rules.

HR assured me there was plenty of time to arrange for my temporary substitute.

So I didn’t think much about it, since anyway, it was his job to take care of in cases of leaves.

I didn’t imagine it would be crucial to get the leave approved formally / in writing, because before this nobody had ever faced something like what I was about to experience.

HR could have warned him.

Come the last working day before I go on my leave, I asked our HR about who would take care of my branch in my absence.

He flatly stated that there was no one available in the region cluster who he could depute to my branch in my stead, as “… many employees in our region are on leave because of festivities this week.”

Me: You are telling me this now? Anyway, I fail to understand how that is my problem, given that my leave was already granted a month ago.

The conversation/argument continues.

HR: Have a discussion with the RM (my boss).

I called him up.

Apparently, the HR had already had a talk with him regarding this matter before I even called him.

RM: How could you intend to go on leave during this time when we are already under so much pressure due to this sudden staff shortage?

On top of that, our company’s audit is due next month.

Me: But you had ALREADY APPROVED my leave one month ago.

RM: No, I’m sure I must have said that I would think about it.

Me: Absolutely not.

I wouldn’t have booked my tickets and planned my travel to my hometown to see my parents, if you hadn’t confirmed the leave.

He was getting seriously upset and wouldn’t let them off the hook so easily.

This went to and fro for a while and I was exasperated from this argument.

By the end, I felt really humiliated that I had to almost beg for a leave.

Me: Fine, I won’t go. (At that point I arguably felt my dignity was more important than a few days off work).

RM: Huh? Okay. (He was at a loss for words at my sudden giving up).

So, my leave was canceled. My tickets had to be canceled. Money wasted. And I was left utterly exhausted.

He may have lost the battle, but the war was still on.

A few days later, we got a notification for the yearly inter-state staff soccer tournament being arranged by Corporate.

If selected, I’d be playing for my state. And the tournament – from selections till the final – would go on for a month.

Soccer happens to be one of my favorite sports! So guess who just applied and got selected for the state team?

Now, here’s the funny thing about sports and activities that are arranged by our company’s corporate center – the top management takes these seasonal events very seriously.

If you are a participating employee, nothing or nobody on this planet could make you rather go back to sitting in your chair and mind your job instead of participating.

We can see where this is going already.

So as it appeared, although not on leave per se, but I was all set to go on a month-long tour across the country, playing soccer, without having to worry about managing a branch, and getting paid in the process.

Even irrespective of my leave fiasco, this was a damn good thing to get involved in.

My boss’s office was eventually informed about my participation in the event, and was advised to “… excuse the participant from his duties till the tournament was over”.

What goes around, comes around.

The day before leaving, I drove down to the RM’s office to formally inform him, from my end, about me competing in the event and my ensuing month-long absence that is to be expected.

He looked expressionless, and just feebly asked me, “Why did you really participate?”

Me: Well you see, had I happened to be at my hometown on a short leave this week, I wouldn’t have been able to participate in the tournament at all, or even try for the selections.

Sad, I couldn’t go on that leave.

The defeated look on his face was priceless.

They will think twice before crossing him like that again.

Let’s read what Redditors are saying about this.

Someone shares a personal experience.

This commenter is in awe.

A commenter thinks he could have handled this differently.

A reader shares their thoughts.

Revenge summed up.

Someone shares what they would have said.

If they had seen this coming, they would never have treated him the way they did.

But people like this rarely think they’ll get payback.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.