Boss denied employee leave for honeymoon, calling it a 'luxury trip' — then made a comment about his promotion that had him considering quitting

Planning a wedding usually comes with a mountain of stress. So, dealing with a manager who treats a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon like an unearned luxury shouldn't be on the checklist. Yet that was the reality for one worker (u/goldengarbanzo). Not only did their manager, Jake, refuse their one-week leave request, but he took a dig at their vacation. Then he doubled down by using promotion as a passive-aggressive threat to get them to work. The post shared on October 24, 2026, has received over 25,000 upvotes on Reddit.

The holiday hustle

The conflict started when the worker requested a week off for their honeymoon. However, their dreams shattered when their manager dismissed the request almost immediately via text. He insisted that having every employee in the office during the week before Thanksgiving was non-negotiable. Still, hoping to clear up what seemed like a routine scheduling friction, the employee pushed back. "My honeymoon is that week," they explained. The worker assumed their boss would understand, but they were wrong.

A subtle threat

Rather than finding coverage, Jake mocked the worker's financial independence. "Isn't a job crucial to be able to afford things like luxury trips?" He questioned. The manager turned an ordinary leave request into a subtle threat. But that wasn't all. He ended the interaction with an overt manipulation tactic to force the narrator back to their desk. He pointed out that a coveted workplace promotion hung in the balance between them and their colleague. "I expect you to be on your A game that week," he warned.

This exchange left an undeniable mark on the employee. Before joining, they thought that this would be a place they'd grow. But the way their manager treated them, that too, over just a few leaves made them rethink their decisions. Surprisingly, this is exactly why workers refrain from taking vacations. In a Pew Research study, 19% of employees said they think taking more time off would affect their promotion. Meanwhile, another 16% think it might even put their employment at risk. Moreover, 12% of workers said their managers discourage them from taking time off.

'You should consider quitting'

As for the people, they pointed out the false corporate promises. u/ActualLunch1242 commented, "Sounds like the kind of job that would make you miss your honeymoon and still not give you that promotion. If that happens, I'd line up a better job and put in my two weeks' notice." Meanwhile, u/Minimum_Winner_5420 suggested, "Unless you have very few skills and are being paid far more than you're worth, I think you should consider quitting. Actually, go on your honeymoon, get fired, and collect unemployment while you look for another job. Start looking now. This is a terrible culture to work in."

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