We’re all entitled to days off. Whether you’re going on your honeymoon or staying home to relax in bed and read books all day, what you do with your free time is none of your employer’s concern. But unfortunately, when colleagues who didn’t plan ahead want the same day off, they might begin weighing who “deserves” to have a holiday more.

Below, you’ll find a story that was recently shared on the “Am I the [Jerk]?” subreddit, detailing how one worker has had to defend their right to a day off, as well as some of the replies invested readers have left on their post. 

After waiting years for a new video game to come out, this employee was sure to request the release day off

Image credits: GaudiLab (not the actual photo)

However, once colleagues found out why they wouldn’t be working, they soon found themselves defending their right to take a free day

Image credits: zelda

Image credits: u/throwaway193749372

Paid time off is a benefit that all employees should be able to enjoy

Image credits: Tony Schnagl (not the actual photo)

As we all know, paid time off is one of the most valuable benefits a company can provide for its employees. The United States is the only developed nation in the world that does not mandate that employers provide at least some paid time off to employees every year, but according to Zippia, almost all companies do have some sort of PTO policy in place. “81.5% of private industry employees have access to paid vacation time, with that number scaling up to 92% for employees at companies of 500+ workers and scaling down to 71% for employees who work at companies with 1-49 workers,” they explain on their site. And it’s understandable for employers to offer their teams paid days off, as it benefits both the company and the workers.

Zippia notes that PTO provides employees with flexibility in choosing their own free time, boosts workers productivity when they’re allowed time to relax, gives workers the opportunity to save up days for long trips, builds trust between workers and their employers, accommodates a variety of reasons why employees might need a day off and provides privacy since workers should not need to explain why they are using their PTO. Well, it should provide privacy, but unfortunately, in this case, word spread around the office quickly. PTO also benefits employers, as it has been proven to increase company morale and minimize absenteeism. 

It can be essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

Employees typically only need to request their paid time off at least 2 days in advance, unless they have chosen a coveted time when many workers would like to take a free day. And one of the great things about PTO is that all employees are entitled to it. Typically, it takes time to accumulate these paid days off, for example, an employee who has been at the company for 1-2 years might have earned about 18 days off. But aside from how many years a team member has been in service, everyone is equally entitled to days off. Parents do not deserve them any more than child-free individuals, and it should not make any difference to a company whether or not the employee plans to take a weekend trip or stay at home resting and watching Netflix all day.

Studies have shown that breaks from work are necessary for our mental and physical health. People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve their goals, Dr. Kathryn Isham at Allina Health notes. And while 55% of PTO a year goes unused in the United States, it’s crucial for employees to ensure that they use the days off they have earned. Burnout is real, and enjoying a day off every now and then is essential for keeping our minds and bodies functioning in peak condition. Plus, we all deserve to enjoy our lives, and if that requires spending a day at home playing video games every now and then, so be it!

But one of the most important aspects of PTO is that employees are not required to disclose why they’re taking a day off

Image credits: LinkedIn Sales Navigator (not the actual photo)

One of the trademark aspects of a successful PTO policy is that employees are not required to disclose why they’re requesting a day off. They have earned that time to do with what they please, and unless they’ve become sick overnight and weren’t able to provide adequate notice, it’s none of their employer’s business why they won’t be coming in. “We really need to normalize rest in the workplace, and not guilt people into feeling like if they take time off, they’re exhibiting laziness,” Keni Dominguez, a career coach and workplace culture strategist, told HuffPost. Guilt and pressure from peers at work are often the reasons why PTO goes unused, but it’s time for this toxic hustle culture to end.

We should have all learned as children that everyone is different, so judging others for making their own unique choices is a waste of time and energy. Thankfully, many readers assured this employee that they had done nothing wrong by standing their ground and defending their day off, but sadly, this is not an isolated incident in the workplace. We would love to hear your thoughts on the story below, pandas. Do you think this person was right to keep their free day, or would you have been sacrificed the time off to give it to a colleague? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing the importance of healthy vacation days, we recommend reading this piece next!

Readers assured the employee that they had done nothing wrong, noting that they are always entitled to a day off

Some even shared similar stories of frustrating experiences at work

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