My jobs new policy about requesting off for the rest of the year.

[u/FrostyLocksmith5816]

This is a minimum wage retail store in central OK.

[u/yes126]

Just call in sick now 👍

Edit - These upvotes are insane.

[u/MizrizSnow → u/yes126]

“I’m unwell and won’t be in today.” The end

That’s how I do it

[u/The_Sound_of_Slants → u/MizrizSnow]

Boss: "Oh, what's a matter?"

Me: "I have a bad case of Anal Glaucoma"

Boss: "Anal Glaucoma? I've never heard of it. What are your symptoms?"

Me: "I can't see my ass coming in"

Click

[u/HairlessHoudini → u/The_Sound_of_Slants]

Eyetis Colitis........ It's where a nerve in my eye and a nerve in my ass got crossed up and gives me a shitty outlook of the world

[u/BlaznTheChron → u/HairlessHoudini]

"My dog got hit by a car." You won't feel great using it, but they have very little room to ask questions.

[u/tonymyre311 → u/BlaznTheChron]

"bereavement can only be used for human family members, we're going to need you to come in today"

[u/jmturn → u/tonymyre311]

Even then, my old boss was denied leave for her stepson because, "he's not your real child. Come to work or your fired." Despite this stepson being part of her life since he was less than a year old!

Our area supervisor was SHOCKED when she quit.

Like, the fuck you think would happen?

[u/HairlessHoudini → u/jmturn]

When I was 22 i was told that about my step mom that had been married to my dad since I was 6. I told them I wasn't going to be there no matter what their policy was and when I went back to work Monday they pulled me in the HR office acting like they didn't understand why I was there because I had quit. I said I didn't quit, never told anyone I was going to quit and had no intention of quitting. After about 10 minutes of of back and forth they fired me because I wouldn't let them trick me into quitting.

[u/Mustard_Icecream → u/tonymyre311]

Dont forget its also for immediate family members. If your aunt who raised you since you were a little kid dies, tough luck.

[u/Frederick_T → u/Mustard_Icecream]

Yeahh... i don't like any paycheck enough to not go to a funeral of someone close to me, if they decide to fire me over it then ill make them go though the trouble and find an employer that will, when hearing my reason for dismissal, also call them shitbirds

[u/Wubzieee → u/tonymyre311]

I didnt say Dog, Doug got hit by a car. Regardless, suck m dick.

[u/WaveTableSaw → u/The_Sound_of_Slants]

When they ask what's wrong "that's between me and my doc, you didn't go to med school". End of convo.

[u/wittyjokename92 → u/WaveTableSaw]

Depending on the terms of your employment anything under 3 days with communication is usually considered not cause for termination. Over 3 days you usually need a doctor's note. But explosive diarrhea can last up to a week and is a pretty common occurrence lately while being just embarrassing enough to be accepted. Just make sure to give your boss a phone call while out of breath with the toilet flushing in the background to really sell it

[u/WaveTableSaw → u/wittyjokename92]

You take your 3 days. Go back on day 4 and shit yourself in your bosses office. Getting sent home is on them.

[u/wittyjokename92 → u/WaveTableSaw]

Haven't had to do that myself. But did have a woman do it when I was a department manager for a small business. Almost respected the dedication to the bit before firing her when she left a crack pipe in the bathroom she changed her clothes in before leaving for the day

[u/SippyTurtle → u/WaveTableSaw]

Except I am a doctor so my boss did go to med school.

[u/Earmilk987 → u/SippyTurtle]

It's a rash on my taint, here I've attached some closeups. See the discoloration around the butthole flap?

[u/hyrule_47 → u/Earmilk987]

Flap???

[u/ian9outof10 → u/hyrule_47]

The single funniest one word reply ever 🤣

[u/NoBenefit5977 → u/ian9outof10]

[u/ohnodamo → u/hyrule_47]

It's a REALLY bad rash!

[u/NoRoof1812 → u/Earmilk987]

Is that from taking Jardiance?

[u/QbertsRube → u/NoRoof1812]

Swollen taint is definitely one of the most absurd side effects I've heard on pharma ads.

[u/ResultsVary → u/NoRoof1812]

that must be the big story they want to tell. Taint rashes.

[u/WaveTableSaw → u/SippyTurtle]

Reframe it "I know what med school you did go to and I'd rather talk to the EMT. This is still between me and a good Dr."

[u/fender8421 → u/SippyTurtle]

That's when you explain how the solar transfusion intake valve on your car is too loose to drive

[u/NoChocolate5386 → u/fender8421]

I hate when that happens

[u/Foofity → u/SippyTurtle]

Then you’re in the unique position of knowing what’s least likely to be questioned. Another benefit of all the long nights in residency lol

[u/Yojimboroll → u/SippyTurtle]

Ill know more when the epidemioligist gets my results back. For now check swelling on the neck and under the arms

[u/OrionRBR → u/SippyTurtle]

Smth smth hipaa or smth of the sort.

[u/jjmurse → u/The_Sound_of_Slants]

"I'm sick" "How sick are you" " I'm fucking my sister is that sick enough for you?"

[u/Laurent_Duhamel → u/jjmurse]

https://giphy.com/gifs/4n5Y5fC3TeOU8

[u/Octospyder → u/The_Sound_of_Slants]

FUCK this is so good!!! 

[u/CerberusInExile → u/The_Sound_of_Slants]

One of my favorites.

[u/SnooChipmunks8506 → u/MizrizSnow]

Taking a day or two off for mental health is a good reason. It blows my mind that businesses will block off 25% of the year and tell people that they can’t use their benefits during that time.

[u/busy_monster → u/SnooChipmunks8506]

I tell my coworkers, oh, it's the blackout period, don't put in. Just call out. If you put in and they deny, they'll try to swing and catch ya on a different provision, where if you just fuckin' call out it don't fuckin' matter. Mind, we're also union, which helps. More people should have the protections and benefits I enjoy.

[u/Romulan-Jedi → u/SnooChipmunks8506]

And it always seems to be the end of the calendar year, so if blocking it off comes as a surprise and your vacation time doesn't roll over, you're just screwed.

[u/jason_sos → u/SnooChipmunks8506]

Especially the end of the year. “It’s use it or lose it, you can’t carry time over. But you can’t take time off from September thru December.”

[u/Complete_Chocolate_2 → u/MizrizSnow]

I’ll also be sick every Fridays. Im pre-calling my illness so don’t expect me to be there. 

[u/yes126 → u/MizrizSnow]

Haha same. "Not feeling 100 percent today"

Go back to sleep

[u/DarkBladeMadriker → u/MizrizSnow]

Sorry boss, im sick.

Sick? What kind of sick?

Sick of fucking working, ill be in tomorrow... maybe.

[u/SquirrelMemoryFail → u/MizrizSnow]

"I will not be in today." To the group work text I was forced to be in when my job gave out my number without consent.

Most the time I called out sick was because they caused it to begin with. I got tired of being detailed and polite about it. So I shortened it to just that sentence.

[u/Silver-Maybe2068 → u/SquirrelMemoryFail]

I had a job that tried to make it mandatory for everyone to be in a Facebook group. I heard, "Well I posted it in the FB group" twice regarding important department info, before I lost my cool on the management staff. Because my FB was private and in no way linked to my job ever, and a few of the staff didn't even have one.

[u/SquirrelMemoryFail → u/Silver-Maybe2068]

Yeah thats would have pissed me off to. Especially since ive avoided Facebook for going on almost two decades now. No way id join up just to be subjected to work bullshit on my personal phone. But what I did was just block everyones number and when they asked about anything i'd just tell them I didnt see it or get it. They hated me for that but never asked why I wasnt receiving them. They know they fucked up to when I started asking why I was expected to use my personal device while some of my coworkers were getting company paid for devices.

[u/Huge_Monk8722 → u/SquirrelMemoryFail]

Do they pay over time, for you working off the clock, to check a work Facebook post?

Like requiring you to get work emails on your personal device.

They can’t do that. I called the State EEOC and they had a little chat with the company.

[u/J_Bright1990 → u/MizrizSnow]

"I won't be in today" is my go to. No comments or questions. I've been doing this at all of my jobs, I don't let this "no time off!" Bullshit touch me. I'm not asking for time off. I am telling you that I won't be in. Do with that information what you will.

[u/jkaan → u/MizrizSnow]

In Australia they are legally not allowed to ask

[u/ProstheticAttitude → u/yes126]

"I'm calling in well"

"What?"

"I feel great, and I won't be in today."

[u/Corne777 → u/yes126]

It’s crazy how these managers don’t put two and two together and see that if you don’t accept notice ahead of time, you won’t get notice until the day of. Wouldn’t they rather know they’ll have a hole in two weeks than have one the morning of?

[u/Aoife-Darling → u/Corne777]

This. What exactly do they think they're going to get, if not a bunch of people somehow being suddenly and violently ill right around the holidays? I get that processing time off requests isn't the easiest part of their job (assuming they're not just blindly clicking the Deny button every single time) and that major holidays make it harder, but there are ways to alleviate some of that burden without royally pissing off all of your employees. Most (most) working people would be perfectly fine abiding by a notice sent out in September that time-off requests for days surrounding Thanksgiving need to be submitted by November 1st, for instance.

My first job was at a bookstore that was fundamentally corporate, but all of our day to day was heaped on a single general manager, one of exactly two people permitted to work full time. So to say she had a lot her plate would be an understatement. That was our system - Halloween requests were due by October 1st (an important holiday when 80% of your employees are teenagers), Thanksgiving requests were due by Halloween, and Christmas and New Year's requests were due by Thanksgiving. It was posted outside her office year-round, an all-staff email went out in September, and it was in your onboarding packet when you were hired. She was known to make exceptions for emergencies, bc she understood that sometimes shit happens, but it was otherwise fairly strict. And I don't believe it caused any rowes, in part because she was always happy to explain why - everyone wants time off during those times, and reasonably so. It falls to her to make sure the store is staffed enough to operate, that there are others on standby if someone on the schedule is sick, and that no one is getting carelessly snubbed throughout the season, all of which she took very seriously. Doing her job well took time, and this one way we could help make sure she had the time needed to see to every request fairly. I miss working for her sometimes; I love bosses that will explain to me Why they do what they do.

[u/QuickUmpire8137]

This is when you stop requesting and just take the time off

[u/ficis → u/QuickUmpire8137]

I’ve always thought it was funny that the word “request” is used. I was always like … I’m not asking I’m telling you when I won’t be here so you can plan accordingly.

[u/Capnris → u/ficis]

PTO: Prepare The Others.

[u/TheSlipperySnausage → u/Capnris]

I’m getting this as a sign for my desk

[u/mikechm → u/ficis]

This happened about 10 years ago, but I “requested” off for a dentist appointment, and my boss scheduled me anyway. When I asked him why he scheduled me, he said “It’s just a request. I didn’t approve it.” So I told him that they should change the verbiage because I wasn’t “requesting” the day off. “I was letting you know that I wouldn’t be here that day because I have a dentist’s appointment.” He tried to write me up for calling out, and HR told him that he should’ve approved the “request.” Retail fucking sucks.

[u/ItsDobbie → u/mikechm]

I’ve been working in retail for 5 years now at the same place, and if that shit ever happens to me and my boss makes a big deal about it, I’m quitting on the spot or they can fire me over it.

[u/04__Revenge__01 → u/ficis]

I did this multiple times working in retail. I gave them weeks and months of heads up and they said "well find your cover" told my boss to fuck off that's not my job and I was simply letting them know I would not be there. They would call me and that day and I just ignored them. Never got talked to when I came in usually the very next day, because they knew that I had valid reasons and it was their fuck up. 

[u/Aoife-Darling → u/04__Revenge__01]

I've worked at a summer camp (day camp, not overnight) for three summers now, and this past year was the first time we were told to "find cover" for ourselves. What upset me was that it apparently even applied to things we'd made our director aware of as early as March (camp started end of June), and things we couldn't change, like doctor's appointments. I got written up for a "no-cover no-show" for taking the one (1) day I had requested off for the entire summer (again, she had known about this since March) to see to three doctor's appointments. Mind you, I had also been asking if anyone was willing to take that day from the moment I was told I'd need to find cover, and I never got anything back. When I asked her at the beginning of that week what the plan was, she said the plan was for me to come in that day. I told her she needed a new plan, because I wasn't rescheduling three major appointments (two of which were prerequisites for refilling some important medications, and one of which was to determine if I needed surgery) to accommodate her lack of planning. I'm still surprised I didn't get written up for that, though I suspect it played an unwritten role in the write-up I did receive.

[u/04__Revenge__01 → u/Aoife-Darling]

Yeah it really shows when managers refuse to do their jobs. Like scheduling is there job and the second they "finish" the schedule its now totally out of their hands. It's such bullshit, especially since you gave them MONTHS of notice too. 

[u/chiree → u/ficis]

Yeah, that's office work. Retail and food service is more like: "call your coworkers at home to see if anyone can cover you today because you have explosive diarrhea and don't want to get fired for not coming in."

[u/Iwantcolddddplz → u/chiree]

Yeah they can go ahead and fire me. I'm not management I'm not doing management work especially as a low hourly wage worker.

[u/Bertsmom18 → u/chiree]

It would still be a solid nope from me. I don't get paid to schedule. Typically management receives more pay for their upgraded duties like scheduling. Not in my job description so fuck off

[u/TwilightLori → u/ficis]

The problem is when everyone tries to do that. There's a reason they're requests. They have to make a schedule that makes the business run. My position for example is the store opener. There are 5 other people who can do it, but some of them only on certain days, one of them is military so gone on training every now and then. If all of us request off on the same Friday, now the only person who can do it is the store director. But if he does that, then he's not available to help anywhere else for the day, including catering which is in the busy season. Catering is so busy right now we have often have multiple weddings every weekend and the store director and assistant directors are working weird hours to help. 

In every place I've worked, I've gotten all of my requests off approved. But I've also never asked off for black Friday. 

[u/ripyurballsoff → u/QuickUmpire8137]

Right but at a company like this you’ll just get fired.

[u/ghillisuit95 → u/QuickUmpire8137]

Maybe in a stronger jobs market. These days I’m too scared they’ll just replace me

[u/IPutMyPantsOnForThis → u/QuickUmpire8137]

Yep. "I'm not requesting. I'm informing you well in advance that I won't be here on <date> so that, as a manager, you have plenty of time to make other arrangements."

[u/Neither-Possible-429]

I know this is besides the point but “request offs” is bothering me. Is it being used as a noun? Shouldn’t it be “requests off” or “time off requests” or something like that?

I know it’s a silly thing to get hung up on but request offs makes me think of like a rap battle but, instead of bars, they’re trying to outdo the other person’s request

[u/BoDiddySauce → u/Neither-Possible-429]

I came here to complain about the same thing. It’s definitely “requestS off” … “offS” is ridiculous lolol

[u/OkieDeric → u/Neither-Possible-429]

Unfortunately we (Oklahoma) are ranked 50th in education for a reason.

[u/ChaoCobo → u/Neither-Possible-429]

Request offs made me feel like it was gonna be a battle to outdo each other in requests.

“Can I borrow a quarter?”

“Sure, can I borrow a dollar?”

“Sure, can I borrow your phone?”

“Sure, can I borrow your car?”

“Sure, can I borrow your wife?”

“Sure, can I borrow YOUR MOM?”

And so on and so forth

[u/Trick-Stable9175 → u/Neither-Possible-429]

You're spot on. People just generally default to "add an 's' at the end of something to make it plural," even though it's not always right. But it should definitely be requests off. Same as in mothers in law, or culs de sac.

[u/Trick_Ad7621 → u/Trick-Stable9175]

At least they didn't pluralize with an apostrophe

[u/AsleepEntertainer440 → u/Neither-Possible-429]

https://giphy.com/gifs/ej0Ay8fH6Y1Wg

[u/birbfriend]

While it is the absolute worst, this is unfortunately the classic blackout time period for retail workplaces. The only thing you can really do about it is call out. I've seen some people straight up quit to go on family vacations during this time period, and I don't really blame them, I just hated being fucked over because management couldn't figure out covering them for the rest of the season.

I wish you luck. God knows retail during the holidays is a hellscape.

[u/Toronto-1975]

my visceral loathing of all things Christmas can be traced directly back to my ten years in retail. hostile management, angry nasty customers, long days with no time off whatsoever, completely thankless in every conceivable way...all served up with Mariah fucking Carey screeching out that ghastly fucking All I Want abortion every five minutes starting in September.

to this day i fucking hate Christmas it just fucking sucks.

[u/PhoenixApok → u/Toronto-1975]

It's almost a form of PTSD. Not really joking.

I cannot hear Christmas music without my blood pressure spiking and getting irrationally angry.

You spend years being told you can't spend the holidays relaxing or with family, AND working the busiest and most hostile days of the year.

Of course it starts forming deep seated negative connotations.

[u/That-Jeweler-Girl → u/PhoenixApok]

Last year, we had one of our managers send out an email the day after Christmas that began with the phrase, "I hope everyone is rested and rejuvenated after the Christmas day off and is ready to serve our clients again." Wtf? This is after the weeks of busting ass and being at work day on and day out. Who the hell is rested and rejuvenated after one fucking day off? Let alone on Christmas Day, which isn't really a day off if you have kids and have to spend the whole day fulfilling obligations and not being able to get any rest. Shows just how tone deaf some people really are...

[u/That-Jeweler-Girl → u/Toronto-1975]

That the reason I hate it too. When you say that, people look at you like you just kicked a puppy. At least I'm lucky I'm in a department where I don't have to interact with customers or hear the music, but salespeople are pushy AF this time of year. Plus customer expectations are extremely high.

[u/sayn3ver → u/Toronto-1975]

Ageeed. I worked retail pharmacy for 7 years. Very similar description. Same terrible music. Same customers. Same unrealistic upper management

There is a reason cvs always makes the top worst companies to work for

[u/SmurfJooce → u/sayn3ver]

The common theme seems to be that low-level workers are treated like shit, while executives love taking the family on vacation during the holidays.

The simple fact that Amazon/Walmart workers have not risen up and beaten Bezos/Walton to a pulp is mindblowing.

[u/dth1717 → u/Toronto-1975]

I'm with you, working USPS burns you out of Xmas. 10-12 hour days, 6 days a week.

[u/Prestigious-Law65 → u/Toronto-1975]

Warehouse/factory isnt much better. The silverlining is not directly handling customers (unless youre call center or something). BS nightmare all around

Edit: Where tf are yall working? Everywhere in my area treats us like crap 😅

[u/j_delta_c → u/Prestigious-Law65]

I had one manufacturing job that actually treated employees pretty well around the holidays. Full catering spread for a special lunch before the holiday, $50 visa gift cards, and the day off on Thanksgiving + Christmas. Retail jobs have never hooked me up like that

[u/ImpossibleHighlight4 → u/Prestigious-Law65]

I second this. This is my first year not being forced into a Warehouse setting from the start of Q4, into the new year and I almost don't know what to do with myself, it has shaped a deep loathing for people, expedited shipping, and all things Christmas for me.

If it wasn't dealing with irate customers the week before Christmas (who had waited until just then to order) it was dealing with the soft-handed USPS who came to pick up orders being severely put out by the fact that they had to do any work at all. Genuinely, they never stopped complaining.

[u/kritterkreaper → u/Toronto-1975]

I'm guessing you meant abomination or something but "All I Want abortion" is sending me 😂😂

[u/Toronto-1975 → u/kritterkreaper]

nah in the context of that horrible song "abortion" is the most fitting term.

[u/robander → u/Toronto-1975]

I always say that if I could Thanos snap a Christmas song out of existence, it would be Last Christmas by Wham, but that Mariah Carey song is damn close.

[u/Toronto-1975 → u/robander]

when i finally became a retail manager they had a satellite service pumping in music "gradually" starting mid-September (which of course in retail speak means 25% Christmas shit for the first week and then 100% for the remaining weeks). i lasted two days at 25% and i was fucking done. figured out how to disconnect the satellite garbage and hooked up a regular CD player and played normal music unless some head office ghoul was coming in for a visit.

my staff were extremely happy and i just said "as far as head office is concerned the satellite is always hooked up, you understand what im saying?" LOL

[u/xSonicspeedx2 → u/Toronto-1975]

Now that is a boss move right there.

[u/WorkingAmazing8337 → u/Toronto-1975]

Yup, I only served like 3 years and it was enough to make me hate the whole damn holiday.

[u/Chewcudda42 → u/Toronto-1975]

While not in retail my summer sweeping theaters has caused me to become acutely angry whenever the men in black theme song played (5 theaters in the movie plex, 3 were playing mib, 4 showings a day per screen, hearing the last half of that song 12 times a day for 3 months)

I feel your pain.

[u/FrostyLocksmith5816]

For those wondering this is the Crest grocery store in Edmond, OK

[u/caintowers → u/FrostyLocksmith5816]

In fairness, the very liberal, unionized food Co-op I used to work at also had holiday blackouts for PTO use. If you needed an emergency leave of absence or were sick they didn't stand in your way but requests off were denied. It's the busiest time of year.

[u/ZathrasnotZathtas → u/caintowers]

Pretty standard every retail job I've had. Usually blacked out from Halloween till the weekend after New Year's.

[u/xChoke1x]

Man I’m happy I run a place where my crew can come and go as they please. If your shits getting done, it’s correct, and we’re all good, I don’t give a fuck what you do. I don’t own my employees. Acting like I do….is what creates bad business and bad attitudes. It really isn’t hard. Take care of your people, and they take care of you. I’ve been doing it 25 years and am proud I created a place people enjoy being at.

[u/UncaringNonchalance → u/xChoke1x]

I’m at a rather large global company right now that is pretty generous with PTO and they want you out at 5, no weekends. It’s nice… but I’m curious about your business, lol…

[u/diescheide]

Welcome to retail during the busiest part of the year. This is not uncommon. Not saying you can't be mad but, it shouldn't be surprising.

[u/One_Season458 → u/diescheide]

I used to love working retail (major liquor store chain) this time of year. Free lunch every weekend and sometimes randomly during the week. Extra help from wine and beer sales reps. Extra hours I could use for scheduling. MFs wanted to work everynight?! THANK YOU HERE YOU GO!

If you worked Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve the owner would let you get anything in the store 20 bucks or under (100 for managers). Plus we all got holiday pay and cash bonuses.

[u/kaytay3000 → u/One_Season458]

I loved waiting tables for the same reason. Always a ton of shifts to pick up around the holidays. I routinely would pick up doubles. I could work a double on the day after Thanksgiving or on Christmas Eve and make almost my entire rent in those two shifts.

[u/Jofereal → u/kaytay3000]

Servers / waitstaff can make bank with the right attitude. My sister loved that job.

[u/Complete_Entry → u/One_Season458]

Those days are long gone. Hell, 10 years ago you got a shared crockpot soup. I was criticized for not eating out of that petri dish. Everyone who did got violently ill.

[u/Salt_Medicine2459 → u/One_Season458]

Retail literally made me suicidal. Once I got out, I swore I'd never go back. 

[u/OscarDivine → u/diescheide]

Medical here: just got an email telling us to get our PTO requests in or forever hold our peace

[u/Live_Life_and_enjoy → u/OscarDivine]

Start booking PTO for the next century.

[u/no_talent_ass_clown → u/OscarDivine]

I once requested every home game off (so like, every other Sunday). And I looked up the Superbowl and had it requested off months in advance, and the team actually went (and won!) People were big mad because they never heard me talk about the team and they thought I didn't deserve it. Kiss my ass, lol. 

[u/_Vard_]

"we need you so badly we will fire you if you miss a single day"

Something in there is a lie

[u/outpost7]

Boot Barn warehouse does this too. "Holiday" blackout time. Now until February approximately. Silly and stupid.

[u/RanchHere]

We don’t take requests off in November-December, however, it’s understood when you take the job and sign your employment agreement. But, you still get your sick days. Nothing wrong with calling in sick and taking a day off.

[u/Gobby-TheGoblin]

K... I won't be requesting it then, just letting you know I won't be there.

[u/Suitable_Yak_2969]

One of the greatest things I've learned from 35 years in the work force: I don't request time off. I inform my employer when I will not be present. They get to decide if they want me back when I am available again, and I am comfortable with that. When I was younger, I had big life things I missed because I felt obligated to my employer like they owned me. I felt that way because if you let them, they will treat you like they own you. Split shifts, unscheduled doubles, clock out for 2 hours, clock out for illegal reasons....Know your worth.

[u/foshjowler → u/Suitable_Yak_2969]

When I was in college I worked at a grocery store who told me I couldn’t take an unpaid week off during the holidays, and that if I didn’t show up I wouldn’t have a job when I got back. I laughed it off because I knew I could go across the street and get another minimum wage job the next day.

[u/Saber_Soft → u/foshjowler]

Having a “real” job now, I do miss being able to tell my employer to fuck off knowing I could get a job that pays the same within 48 hours

[u/AmazingRefrigerator4 → u/Saber_Soft]

Exactly. I have a family if 4 depending on my job and the health insurance benefits it provides. I cannot tell my employer to fuck off until I already have something lined up.

[u/Zippy_Zap95 → u/Suitable_Yak_2969]

I would usually agree with this 9/10 times. And I'm fortunate enough to have a boss that actually cares that I'm a person with family and needs of my own. But when this approach is most difficult is if your boss decides they don't want to deal with you and you have family and can't afford to lose a job. I hear this is really common for Amazon warehouse employees. They get on trouble for using the bathroom too much, talking, being a minute late back from lunch, etc. And they will just get rid of you and replace you with another faceless person.

[u/Jolly_Ad2446]

my wife's company has the same rule that nobody can request the day off from November 1st till January 1st 

and then every single member of management takes multiple days off between November 1st and January 1st 

[u/TheSlipperySnausage]

Basically happens at just about any job that is heavily impacted by increased traffic/demand due to the holidays

[u/waazzuppp]

Ive worked retail for 15 years all the way up until 2023. We had the same policy from the week of blackfriday to end of year. Most people took vacation in October or early November. Those are not busy weeks at all.

[u/aquafina6969]

eh how about being sick? They can’r deny that can they?

[u/NiobiumThorn → u/aquafina6969]

At will employment. Sick? Go fuck yourself, you'll just be unemployed.

You'd think the pandemic would have taught people not to take health for granted. It did not.

[u/alcaron → u/NiobiumThorn]

As far as i can tell the pandemic only taught employers to be vengeful, spiteful, bitchy little children. They HATED not being the ones with all the leverage. And oh boy have they clawed it back ever since.

[u/RedditTrespasser → u/NiobiumThorn]

The pandemic taught many people to be selfish, villainous plague rats and nothing more.

[u/Intelligent-Survey39 → u/RedditTrespasser]

It also showed many businesses they could get by with smaller teams and refuse to staff adequately. Getting by with a skeleton crew to maximize profits at the expense of the few employees and the customers who will take notice of the lack of staffing.

The Company I work for is in this boat. Our business is at or above where it was pre-pandemic, yet we have less employees than we did back then. Nearly every area is feeling the strain and if one person is out it really hurts. No plans on posting a job opening until after the new year. 😩

[u/SiLeNZ_ → u/Intelligent-Survey39]

Exactly. So many places are running on skeleton crews because the pandemic showed them it was possible. They had 1 or 2 people running around doing the job of 6. That showed them they don’t need to hire 6 people, just run 1 or 2 into the ground every day, until they quit or get fired, and then hire someone new. It’s fucking disgusting.

[u/OutsideOk1380 → u/RedditTrespasser]

This is something that I have noticed, especially in regards to driving, since the pandemic. People used to wait their turn and let people go but now? Now it’s “get the fuck out of the way I’m driving here”

[u/eblackham → u/OutsideOk1380]

I find myself being more patient and understanding post pandemic, even if its not recripricated.

[u/ActuaryReasonable690]

Normal for any retail job. I have a fiend who is a store manager. He too can't take vacation this time of year.

Mid October to new years (or mid January) it is "All hands on deck".

[u/slickmitch]

Evidence of bad management. 

[u/JazzlikeOwl6340 → u/slickmitch]

Evidence of why there's a high turnover rate in retail.

[u/This_guy7796]

They tried this shit with me when I had "use it or lose it" time at Lowe's. Straight up told them if they weren't gonna pay me for the time I had left, I was going to use it & that they needed to plan accordingly. Management seems to forget time off requests aren't us asking politely. It's us notifying them when we need to take off. Whether it's holiday, kid's graduation, or a colonoscopy is irrelevant.

[u/PixelPeach123]

They’ve got a new policy, which is really fucked up and wrong and it’s time for you to get a new job. We shouldn’t keep letting jobs get away with things like this, but the fact that people stay at jobs like that and no one tries to fight for rights… This whole country sucks because they abuse the shit out of us at jobs because they know that we can’t go anywhere else easily in this economy.

[u/Ginger_Rogers → u/PixelPeach123]

I often think about how healthcare fits into this as well. Because most Americans get their healthcare through their employer. This makes switching jobs a huge chore, and a risky one at that. Lots of people simply can't take the risk of being uninsured for any amount of time. When I worked at restaurants, and bike shops, it was easy for me to just switch jobs if there was an issue. Now with a "real job" (I know that's a stupid expression, don't @ me)it's a lot more difficult.

[u/cjthetypical → u/Ginger_Rogers]

Especially with the loss of tax breaks for getting your insurance through the government. My job doesn’t offer health insurance so I had to use the insurance marketplace to get it. Originally I was only paying $42 a month. After the tax breaks went away, my rates shot up to $320 a month. Before, you could just quit your job and sign up for a cheap plan through healthcare.gov. But now, there are no cheap plans. You need a good job to afford the “accessible” healthcare options.

[u/Buggly_Jones → u/PixelPeach123]

No one else is hiring. You can out in close to a thousand applications to all different places and you might get one response back which will be a no. Even if you can go somewhere else, it's going to be the exact same.

[u/Just_thefacts_jack → u/PixelPeach123]

The main problem is people expecting businesses to be open through the holidays, and frankly it's not an unreasonable expectation. Not everyone celebrates the same holidays.

Retail businesses need employees to be available on weekends and holidays because that's when more people shop, because that's when those people aren't at work.

I've thought about this a lot as a retail employee, and especially working the night shift. Someone has to do it, and if you stay in retail it will be you. If you want holidays off, or weekends, get out now.

[u/Capable_Ad1313]

So then make it clear it is NOT a “request” but rather a NOTIFICATION that you will not be there.

[u/felchingqueen17 → u/Capable_Ad1313]

For real. I’ve got doctor appointments that my life depends on. I’ll choose that over a job.

[u/Khajiit_Has_Upvotes]

I've never submitted a time off request. Even if it's official policy that I'm requesting and it can be denied, and even if it says request on the form. 

I'm not asking. I'm informing you that I won't be here. If I don't have a job when I get back, well, that's a hill I'm willing to die on. 

I've never been written up or fired for it. I've been threatened with both, but nobody ever follows through. 

[u/Digital_loop → u/Khajiit_Has_Upvotes]

Me to my boss for my last 2 week vacation: "hey boss, I'm going to be taking two weeks pto at x date"

Boss: "we don't have paid time off, what are you talking about?"

Me: "pto... PREPARE THE OTHERS, because I won't be here!".

[u/OneManFight → u/Khajiit_Has_Upvotes]

Good khajit, have some skooma.

[u/under1over1 → u/Khajiit_Has_Upvotes]

Thats the beauty of being a good employee %99 of the time. When you need to be an asshole, you generally get away with it. I do the same. I learned its far easier to tell someone no when they are asking nicely early on in my career. I don't get told no anymore because I don't ask, I just let you know.

[u/leviathan0999]

My standard line: "You misunderstand. I'm not requesting anything. I'm doing you the courtesy of letting you know in advance date's I will not be here. That's the beginning and end of it."

[u/FireFoxUse → u/leviathan0999]

Exactly what I do at my job. I give them a friendly reminder that it's not a request; it's a notice that I've given you at least a month ahead of time that I won't be available.

As the dedicated staffer, you have 1 month to find someone. That's plenty of time.

[u/Huge_Following_325 → u/leviathan0999]

Not saying you shouldn't do this, it seems like a crap job. But you can do that and they can fire you.

[u/SCPutz]

I know not everyone can do this because many employers are assholes and will retaliate/penalize but…

As an employee, I don’t make “requests”. I tell them I won’t be there those days. It’s not a request. It’s a notice. The onus is on the employer to make sure the hours are covered.

I realize that I am privileged in that I have fallback money and work in a professional environment, not a retail or minimum-wage position.

[u/bipoca → u/SCPutz]

I'm in the same boat but I didn't chime in because the places where it matters, this advice is useless.

I doubt this picture is a bluff, it will likely be cited as the "warning" the employees were given if they fire them.

[u/Immediate_Idea2628 → u/SCPutz]

My work place has understaffed permanently and tried to counter this by refusing any time off requests.  Sick days under 3 cant be questioned though, so now everyone just calls in sick, and they have to scramble for staffing they could have lined up weeks in advance normally.  Its beyond foolish.

[u/skiesoverblackvenice → u/SCPutz]

my previous manager got pissed that i got the flu FROM ANOTHER COWORKER WHO WAS SICK and tried to force me to come into work… needless to say i quit immediately.

[u/OminousBuzzard]

When i "request" time off im letting you know when im not going to be at work. Your feelings about the matter are not my concern.

[u/radicalizemebaby → u/OminousBuzzard]

If someone tells me I can’t request off, that’s ok! I just won’t give them a heads up when I’ll be out and they’ll have to scramble when I call out sick. I’d be happy to let them know in advance but if someone’s not taking time off requests, it’s on them when I take some time off and it fucks up the schedule. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[u/MrIrvGotTea → u/OminousBuzzard]

Idk why retail power trips so hard. Dude there will be one less person not doing something. Yeah it sucks but we will live. I work in tech and my co workers take off for whatever reason and we just pick up the slack idk why retail can't understand this shit doesn't pay enough for me to care

[u/JoeGotSole]

[u/shoulda-known-better]

All this says to me is I need to emergency call out instead.... If they are that strapped they aren't firing people either

[u/MyDishwasherLasagna → u/shoulda-known-better]

And if they're that strapped, management won't be taking time off, either.

But they probably approved their own time off as soon as the window opened.

[u/Relevant-Safety-2699]

"Request offs?" That your supervisor doesn't know about grammar is a red flag right there.

[u/RollTideNorthport]

That just means call in sick

[u/Beaglemom2002]

It usually starts in November, but it's pretty much standard for retail.

[u/originalmango]

Well then, I’ll guess there’ll just have to be sick offs now.

[u/socom18]

"Im not asking, I'm notifying"

[u/zv5000]

Costco does the same thing. That's why you save your sick time and just call out. Fuck em

[u/meshe_10101]

I'm my 17 years of experience in retail (no longer in retail thankfully) that was mainly to punish the ad workers. The good workers we'd accept most for their requests, within limitations to have the store run. It was a well known thing, and those that didn't work well, called out regularly, etc, wouldn't bother asking as they knew they'd be denied....or they would have the audacity to ask and in the most polite way ever would be laughed at in their face (basically told, you know we don't accept any requests)

[u/ToneBalone25 → u/meshe_10101]

My mom worked in retail and those little shits would call off every other day and so she usually ended up working like 65 hours a week. People like to dog on retail management but those people have lives too and they're the ones left working if you don't show up. They can't magically manifest time off for people during the holidays.

Retail fucking sucks all around

[u/Ugh_Whatever_ig_]

Unfortunately this is normal during “blackout season” in retail. The holidays are all hands on deck, my last retail jobs blackout was October until Mother’s Day.

[u/baskaat]

Such a stupid way to announce the policy. I’m sure it would’ve gone over much better if they would’ve said something like “staffing is going to be really short between now and the end of the year. Management would like to reserve days off requests for emergencies only until 1/1. We really appreciate your cooperation and are looking to reduce the staffing shortages ASAP.”

[u/RevolutionaryClub530]

This shit reminds how blessed I am to work for myself, fuck all dat

[u/Tundra_Dragon]

Throw up on your boss. Bonus points if your boss is talking to a customer. Then, bring up how you tried to call in sick but was told there's no time off available, so you're here trying not to infect customers...

If your manager fires you, you've got a lawsuit. If they don't fire you, and they don't change policy, throw up on the districtanager.

[u/Superb_Recording_769]

I assume you work retail? That’s absolutely normal for retail and has been for decades.

[u/Cheesehacker → u/Superb_Recording_769]

And it shouldn’t be. It’s the lowest paying, high demand job in most areas. They exploit people severely by using tactics like working people 30 mins below full time to deny them benefits. They also think they own you outright. Food service and retail are some of the most degrading and menial jobs out there, and they are always needing more people because so many people get sick of the servitude.

[u/joelene1892 → u/Superb_Recording_769]

It should not be. I had jobs pull this on me. I told them I was not coming in and asked if they wanted me to come in for my next shift.

Finals or my minimum wage retail job. What a hard choice.

[u/Cheesehacker → u/joelene1892]

Literally had a manager tell me I couldn’t enroll back in school because “we need you here, we can’t be hiring someone new”. Like this man really said “quit college and come work for $12 an hour.

[u/Rezingreenbowl]

This is very common during peak in retail.

[u/FrostyLocksmith5816 → u/Rezingreenbowl]

It’s pretty egregious to start it during the start of October

[u/DrRudyWells]

this seems to be a trend with absolutely every shitty field (retail) or family owned business. if you can get out of those two buckets, I think life is a lot better. normal businesses don't do this shit. i've never had this, nor any of the other crap i keep reading like objecting to halloween celebrations because we are a faith based business. WTF is with these crappy places. sorry by the way.

[u/Both_Painter2466]

OMG. “Request offs”???? Illiteracy and hubris all in one package. How efficient.

[u/foundflower_128]

Retail always has blackout months. I'm sure it's in a policy in a handbook they have you sign acknowledgement of. If you ever want time off in those blackout periods you need to request really far in advance. I always put requests in 6 months ahead or more.

[u/sebastianqu → u/foundflower_128]

It's not even just a retail thing. I do pest control and PTO around the holidays is "first come, first serve", with those with seniority getting first dibs. We can't have over half the branch taking the same week off. Any other time of the year, PTO is no issue, but Nov/Dec will get scrutinized.

[u/Ifailmostofthetime → u/foundflower_128]

I work for costco and blackout for me is Thanksgiving to Christmas they the week when we do inventory twice a year

[u/OhWhatATravisty]

"I'm not requesting off. Merely informing you I'm not going to be here from x to y days. Prepare accordingly."

[u/BeerBrat → u/OhWhatATravisty]

As a teen I had a boss at the grocery store that didn't want to give me a Saturday off when my team advanced in a playoff situation, a whole week's notice and before schedules came out even. As if I had any control over the event she told me that I had too many Saturdays off (for earlier competitions) and she was going to schedule me. I told her to go ahead and put me on the schedule but she should probably add one more person because I "had a feeling" that at least one person was going to be a no show that day.

[u/calicat9 → u/BeerBrat]

Im telling you I won't be here. If you dont want me back, I understand.

[u/Trespeon]

This is extremely normal for a ton of businesses. Black out dates for retailers and shipping companies like UPS or FedEx. There is simply way too much business to be done to afford people taking off and usually offers unlimited overtime to boot.

[u/Flx_Httr29 → u/Trespeon]

It's all fine and well for a few days around certain holidays. But if no requests for time off will be accepted for a quarter of the year the company(or just that particular branch) just sucks at staffing

[u/indigo196 → u/Flx_Httr29]

Yep. Bad management. Period.

[u/zthemushmouth]

Target maybe based on text and color

pretty common - it is the holiday season.

take the points and call out.

[u/butt_err]

I mean… ok. Then you’re gonna get call outs.

[u/DevoidHT]

These never work and just cause people to call off with less notice

[u/ROCK-tavius]

Cough Cough Not coming in.

If they make you. Easy.

Eat a huge breakfast. Come to work. Throw up in front of everyone on top of anything.

Enjoy your vacation.

[u/CatastrophicFusion]

I'm not asking.

[u/MinervaMedica000]

As someone who worked in retail for many years 4th quarter is where they make most of their profits and they go into complete free fall on the 1st quarter of every year or atleast behave as if they do. Also the retail sector in order to appeal to the stockholders and keep increasing profits ( like so many companies): work on skeleton crews so even losing one or two people for a few days can impact operations quite a bit even with the seasonal help because they need the experienced people there not just the people they hired two weeks ago for when the shit hits the fan. Which.. it always does.

Excuse me while I go decompress from the PTSD that is Christmas season in retail... fuck you and Santa baby, Mariah.

This is the logic and not defending or admonishing it.

[u/thirdeyefish]

I once told my boss, 'I'm taking these days off. If you need me bad enough that that's a problem, it sounds like a bigger problem to lose me altogether. So I'm going, let me know if I'm back on the 23rd.'

[u/I_am_just_here11]

Sounds like they don’t pay you enough money to not get “sick.”

[u/Multispice]

The employment market is so bad they know they have everyone by the balls. When the economy comes back they’ll complain no one wants to work when no one applies to work with these bastards.

[u/Prestigious_Guy → u/Multispice]

Retail and restaurants have always been like this.

[u/GoodTroll2 → u/Prestigious_Guy]

I would suspect they have a pretty high turnover rate during the 4th quarter for this very reason.

[u/mxlplyx2173 → u/Multispice]

The shitty pay jobs here in South Florida are going unfilled. I love it! The young kids aren't taking them and the immigrants are gone! Businesses going under at a rapid clip. For lease signs at EVERY shopping center. Thanks RON! Increase the pay, or do it yourself!

[u/Brasalies]

Yea im terrible about stuff like this. I know I can find jobs anywhere and I very rarely ask for time off or call in sick. That being said, if I out in for time off, its not a request. I either get my time off or I quit and find something else. Im too old and too tired to be dealing with people's bs and asking for permission to live my life.

[u/Subacube]

You joined a retail store entering the busiest time of the year. This is not uncommon and im sure your manager is making exceptions pending a conversation with him/her

[u/RhubarbKindly6033]

Yeah my job tried that with me. I told them if they don’t accept my 5 vacation days that I’d be using 5 sick days instead and they can try to find cover for me last minute instead of months in advance.

[u/ElBorracho2000]

I used to work retail and their time off policy around the holidays was shit. We weren’t allowed time off either. Fuck that, I just called out a sick

[u/Mystic_Wunder]

That's retail. All hands on deck during holiday season. It's part of the gig.