A boss has been slammed for an ‘unbelievable’ act after cancelling an employee’s already-approved holiday – then suggesting they could still go away as long as they worked during their trip.
The exchange, which has gone viral, has left thousands fuming over the blatant disregard for workplace norms and employee rights.
The staff member reminded their manager that time off had been approved and accommodation was already booked.
But instead of honouring the agreement, the boss backtracked, citing the sudden arrival of a new client.
‘Yes, sorry matey,’ the boss wrote.
‘We’ve had a client sign up [at the] last minute and I need someone who can take them through onboarding.’
When the worker pushed back, pointing out their partner had also arranged time off, the manager offered a compromise.
‘How about this, I will approve your holiday, but you login abroad for the initial onboarding and then I’ll get someone else to do the rest?’
A boss has been slammed for cancelling an employee’s already-approved holiday – then suggesting they could still go away as long as they worked during their trip
Business commentator Ben Askins criticised the boss’s unreasonable expectations
The employee had no choice but to agree, but the suggestion left social media users furious.
Business commentator Ben Askins said on TikTok, ‘The idea that you’ve rejected their holiday leave that you’d already approved, and then the compromise is to give them back their holiday provided they do work on that holiday is just obviously not okay.
‘The key problem here is that they’re too dependent on this one person.
‘You can’t set up your business so that you are completely reliant on one person knowing one thing that no one else can do.’
Many workers shared their own stories of bosses attempting similar stunts.
‘I was so relied upon for coming in at certain hours or making a manager’s shift easier – you should have seen how much they begged me not to leave,’ one said.
Another added, ‘I wouldn’t have done any work on my holiday and have all emails and calls blocked until I got home.’
In Australia, annual leave is not optional – it’s enshrined in workplace law.
Once approved, it cannot simply be withdrawn to cover for last-minute business pressures.
Experts say the situation reflects a worrying trend where companies expect staff to sacrifice their personal time, and highlights the importance of respecting boundaries to prevent burnout.
