Paid time off at work is an important part of your overall compensation package, but some managers don’t look at it that way.

What would you do if your boss had approved your PTO request months in advance, but then a new project was starting that they wanted you to work on, so the manager demanded that you cancel your time away?

That is what is happening to the worker in this story, and when he pushed back, saying that the time away was already approved, his manager implied that he could be fired if he wasn’t at work.

I’m sure he needs the job, so he may have to come in and work, but he should definitely be looking for a new job at a company that doesn’t treat employees this way. Read through the full story below and see what you think.

Work Attempting to Force Me to Cancel Approved PTO

Back at the beginning of March I was told to submit my PTO requests as my current assignment was running down, stating they wanted to know it to plan around future assignments.

These PTO policy changes sound like good things, but they need to be communicated well.

Back in November they decided to create carryover PTO which was never a thing with the company. They also combined PTO and sick time.

All of this wasn’t conveyed well. They also snuck in the clause of carryover PTO only going until June 30th of the following year.

The PTO was approved, and he is not going to change it.

So, I put in all my PTO and made sure not to loose anything as well. Now fast forward to last week when they attempted to put me on a new project.

I reminded them of my PTO which was previously approved. The person I was speaking with was then saying they were unaware of this.

This conversation should have been held privately.

To which I said it’s been in for months and approved. They then started to say I should know better taking off time in this manner for which I said I didn’t change the rules.

The best part is this guy wasn’t my boss and was coaching me on why this isn’t acceptable even though I did nothing wrong. Meanwhile others were on the call listing to this conversation.

Sorry, boss. You approved the time away. I won’t be in the office.

The next day my manager reached out basically telling me I needed to cancel my time off. That I need to be available for this client obligation. That me not being available hurts the company.

He went on about how he doesn’t take vacation but when he’s done in the past he’s had to cancel as well.

He doesn’t want to lose his job, but this just isn’t right.

That conversation was basically you need to cancel your PTO which was approved. Otherwise we can’t staff you on a project and we don’t know when the next one will be, hurting the company.

I’m in such a hard place figuring they may now try to fire me if I don’t play along. Not once did management communicate about time off when trying to staff the project.

I would be looking for a new job immediately.

Instead they leave it until the end to find out they messed up. They act like I shouldn’t have taken off or know they could take it back but they never spoke to me when submitting or any other time until it impacted them.

Submitted PTO and was approved. Now work expects me to cancel it or are essentially threatening letting me go.

Companies that treat their employees like this are the worst and deserve no type of loyalty or hard work.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who works fast and helps her coworkers, but is met with disapproval from her supervisor because of this practice

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

Unions can be very helpful in this area.

I love this idea.

This is actually a very good suggestion.

Their staffing issues are their problems.

Make it make sense.

Companies that threaten to fire you if you don’t cancel PTO are toxic. While it may not be possible to quit immediately, this guy should be aggressively looking for a new job.

PTO is a key part of any compensation package and should not be taken away without a very serious reason.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a team that agreed to work overtime, but then not everyone showed up, leaving the rest holding the bag.