When you have a job, you need to make sure that you are there when scheduled and that you are working hard, but when you need a day off, that should be fine too.

What would you do if you told your boss well in advance that you needed a weekend off for your parents birthdays, but when the time came, he denied it and told you that it wasn’t important?

That is what happened to the young worker in this story, so she had to miss the birthday party with the family.

“It’s not like your parents’ birthdays are important or anything.”

I used to work as a barista/hostess in a hotel in Colorado, and boy were the restaurant managers a piece of work:

Why would you keep working here?

One of them told a waitress (who was relatively fit) that she should lose weight, and gave her a coupon for the gym. He also hit on her. They gave the intern manager a D, even though she was the best manager we had.

They made us go to the grocery store to pick up cigarettes for them. They didn’t give us breaks on 14-hour shifts.

Ok, at least they all left eventually.

All in all, horrible managers. Everyone in the restaurant ended up quitting within two weeks of each other.

Anyways, when I was offered the job, I told the manager I would love to take the job, but I needed the weekend of August 2nd off (this was a few years ago), since both my parents’ birthdays are on that weekend, and he said that was fine.

Sounds like a lovely weekend.

Thinking that my manager would keep his word, my parents book a hotel and dinner reservation for us to stay the weekend in the mountains.

A week before, I verify with my manager that I need that time off.

This is just unacceptable.

He says that it’s policy to not allow weekends off, and I had to work that weekend. I reminded him that he told me I would get that weekend off, and he said that it was “too bad.”

I beg to get that weekend off, telling him it’s both my parents’ birthdays, and that we already have reservations, and he still says no.

She should quit on the spot.

After thinking for some sort of compromise, I call his office ten minutes later, and offer to work Friday morning and Sunday evening, so I could have the most of the weekend off, but would still work for the weekend–he laughed at me, asked the other manager if he should give it to me, then tells me no.

Next time he comes by my stand, I ask him one more time, and he says, “Look, you’re not getting the weekend off. Your parents are going to have a lot more birthdays, so it’s not like it’s important or anything for you to be there.”

You never know how many birthday’s anyone will have.

Some background: My dad had gone in remission from cancer after having his larynx removed and undergoing radiation therapy just a year before this, and we weren’t (and still aren’t 100%) sure if the cancer would come back.

I started crying on the spot.

Jobs are important and sometimes you have to put up with things, but in this case, she should just walk out immediately.

Let’s see what the people in the comments have to say about this situation.

Me too. No need to put up with that.

Good idea.

I agree with this commenter.

Yeah, people put up with too much.

Here is a great idea.

She should have walked out and never looked back.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.