Employee quits immediately when boss tries to cancel approved annual leave for unfair reasons

Some employees know where to draw the line when it comes to maintaining boundaries and self-respect at their workplace. That was the case when a boss was being too unreasonable with an employee who was about to start his 3-week annual leave. Popular outsourcing expert on TikTok, Michael Sanz shared the text exchange between the aforementioned employee and his boss and it quickly went viral. It all started when the boss notified the employee named Noel that his leave was canceled since another worker resigned from her job and they needed "all hands on deck" while they tried to replace her.

Sanz mentioned how this boss "sounded like a tool," for canceling leaves without any prior conversation with the employee. Responding to the boss, Noel wrote, "I totally appreciate how frustrating this would be to management. But what do you mean you already told HR my leave has changed?" Noel had planned his Bali trip seven months ago, made all the bookings. Also, his kids were a part of the wedding party. Sanz pointed out how Noel was fair to give a proper notice 7 months ahead. But the boss responded by saying that the employee had to "reduce his leave" from 3 weeks to 3 days. "Not sure what you can do for 3 weeks in Bali," the boss joked.

Noel still responded politely saying he felt bad for the company's situation but insisted that he couldn't cancel his leaves. He also suggested they get a temporary replacement and even offered to do his best until he went on leave. But the boss replied, "Mate, can't stress enough. Your leave is canceled. We just can't do it." This frustrated Noel and he replied, "I actually don't want to come back to work now." He also added that he would start his leave before the decided date. "While away, I will think about if working with a company that doesn't promote boundaries is a place I really want to work at," Noel wrote. Sanz lauded Noel's perfect response to such an appalling expectation from the boss and mentioned how it was unfair to expect peak performance from employees when businesses were short-staffed.

"I once heard and never forgot it. 'Poor management on your behalf, does not constitute an emergency on mine,'" commented @user1283800620258. "It is no longer an employers' market. It is an employees' market. Companies need to be aware of this. I would resign on the spot," wrote @thomasjamesgillil. "Yep, this happened to me too. Booked in Jan as I was providing respite foster care for 2 boys in July. The new manager canceled. I was told if you don't turn up to teach you will be fired. I left," commented @riricooneyofficial.

After Noel's story became viral with over a million views, he responded to Sanz, updating him about his present situation. In a follow-up video, Sanz shared that Noel went ahead with his leave plans and had a great time in Bali with his phone switched off for the three whole weeks he was there. However, the management tried contacting Noel's wife but all in vain. When he resumed work, "the management were all distant." Noel, ensuring that his clients were not impacted by his resignation, dropped his notice. He also found a higher-paying job in the meantime and was free from the toxic work culture in his previous job.

You can follow Sanz (@theoutsourcingexpert) on TikTok for more management and outsourcing content.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on February 23, 2024. It has since been updated.