Grandparent denied a leave for granddaughter's birth took it anyway while risking their job

In today's competitive work environment, taking time off can be pretty challenging, even for senior employees. Despite notable advancements in leave policies across numerous companies, certain organizations persist in their lack of compassion when it comes to granting leave. One such incident of a grandparent not being granted leave from their place of work was shared on Reddit by u/SarahBeerInTheFridge.

The post begins with the person saying that they requested a week off from work a month ago to welcome their granddaughter and help their daughter and son-in-law handle their new parenting responsibilities. The grandparent mentions, "I work in a summer tourist destination and a supervisory position. I have worked for this company for four years, always taking my vacation time in the off-season." Being a supervisor, they happily approved an employee's leave request because they understood that workers had responsibilities beyond the establishment itself. Unfortunately, the earnest request for time off went unapproved by all the managers. "They never even mentioned having seen the request and never asked me why I wanted it," they said.

The Reddit user sent a few follow-up emails as gentle reminders to look into their request for paid leave, all of which again did not yield any reply. Determined to make a stand, they decided to take the week off anyway without waiting for approval. They ensured their coworkers knew the essential tasks they handled, set up an automatic reply mail, and exited the office.

Not having any regrets, they say, "I am now enjoying newborn grandbaby snuggles and sipping coffee. We will see if I have a job next week!" The post then goes on to thank the subreddit for empowering them and how posts on the platform made them realize that they had prioritized their work too much and missed out on a lot of important life events. The employee then expresses gratitude towards the platform.

After many queries on the post from the initial posting about specific details, they returned to clarify. They mentioned that they had initially managed eight people at the organization. The number decreased as the company was restructured and the Reddit user's department was reduced to just four people, including themselves. Despite voicing concerns over the reduced staffing, management paid no heed to them, citing adaptability as an essential skill. "At this point, I started thinking of leaving," they added.

When things seemed steady, the same department was restructured, yet again under a different manager. Still, the author somehow continued in the same designation. The author informed their manager and supervisors about their daughter's pregnancy, requesting time off. Initially, they requested before management changed and made a follow-up call once it did. In June, they learned about the daughter's c-section due to complications. They sent a PTO request but received no response. The following week, management changed and the author forwarded the emails to the new leadership, who complained about the change to another supervisor to help with coverage.

The post ends optimistically, with the author suggesting that they do not intend on staying at the same organization for too long and exiting soon, seeing how much the company had deteriorated under the new management.