A user asked, Am I wrong for not giving my coworker my day off because I want to play a video game? We want to know your thoughts
Backstory
The Original Poster (OP) is a massive fan of video games and has been waiting for the new Legend of Zelda games for 5+ years. When the release date was revealed, he immediately requested PTO as he planned to stay home that day to enjoy the new game.
What he didn’t realize was that the day he asked off was the Friday before “Mother’s Day.”
Read: 17 Things You Can Gift Your Mother on Mother’s Day
What Happened Next?
OP’s company had to limit the requests for that date now as many people have been asking for it.
He says, “I had previously told some of my coworkers I was planning on staying home to play the game, and I guess word got around because one of my other coworkers asked me after work to give her my PTO so she can travel for Mother’s Day. I explained to her that I requested this day off months ago for a specific reason, and I really wasn’t willing to change it. She got pretty upset with me, claiming I care more about video games than family and whatnot.”
Did OP Have A Guilt Trip?
Not really. OP says “I honestly don’t really care about her not being able to travel because I feel like if this was an important date then you would have requested off early like I did. Anyways I firmly told her no, but she told some of my other co-workers, and they are irritated at me and calling me a jerk for not giving up the date. Am I a jerk?”
You Planned. You Deserve It!
“Mother’s Day is listed on a calendar every year even though the actual date may vary. Poor planning on their part does not equal an emergency on yours. You planned. You deserve it, and it doesn’t matter why you booked it. FWIW, I’ve booked vacation around video game releases, and it’s amazing. Enjoy your time off and your game!”
Next Time, Don’t Tell The Truth
“This exact thing happened to me! Skyrim came out, and I used an entire week of vacation to play it. (Excessive, I know…) I made the mistake of telling people that and my supervisor tried to get me to cut it down. Even though it was requested months ago and was approved, and work was covered, everyone thought it was a silly reason not to be there. Someone else wanted that time off for another reason, so they asked again. I said no.
Anyway, I enjoyed my week. When I came back, people were irritated for about two or three days but eventually moved on. The lesson is, however, don’t tell people why you are taking YOUR TIME OFF! It sounds silly, but you are just opening yourself up to criticism. Some people actually believe your time off is open to debate, and what’s important to you may not be important to them.
Enjoy the game, they can either plan accordingly or adjust their schedule. It isn’t the end of the world. And next time you have an important release date, say you have an important appointment and leave it at that.”
It Doesn’t Matter WHY
“It doesn’t matter why you want the day off. Bottom line is that you requested this long ago, and it was approved.
As for the coworker that wants to travel for Mother’s Day, last I checked, this has been an annual holiday for over 100 years and you can google future dates for years to some. If this coworker really wanted the Friday off before Mother’s Day, she could have easily requested it in a timely manner.
Her lack of planning is not your problem.”
Of Course You Care For ‘Your’ Family More Than Video Games, Not Hers
“I would have told her I care more about my family than video games, your family not so much. Her family is not your responsibility. She should have planned better.”
“It’s totally reasonable for you to care more about your hobby than you do about her family. You haven’t even met her family!
Besides, did her family move? Did they just recently discover Mother’s Day? Why couldn’t she have asked for the day off a while ago? She knew the day was coming and she knows how far she has to travel to see her family. This isn’t some last-minute emergency situation.”
Exploitation At Its Best
“Same goes for any other holiday. I’m childfree by choice and people always seem to think that means I should be the one working holidays. It doesn’t matter if the reason you have the day off is for a video game! It’s your day off, enjoy it!!!”
“A classic attempt to exploit young / single / childfree people. I bet she doesn’t book plane seats either.”
Reach Out To The HR
“You need to go to HR and complain. Your coworker shouldn’t be badmouthing you because she didn’t get her way. That’s causing a hostile work environment. It’s not an overreaction on your part. She’s overreacting and causing you discomfort because of the way she’s acting. Go to the HR.”
What Do You Think?
So, who’s the jerk here? Here are more:
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This article was originally published on Mrs Daaku Studio.