After working for three years without a single day off, I requested my full 90 days of leave. HR called it “too long” and told me to find another job if I was “this lazy.” Apparently, three years of loyalty meant little once I asked for rest.
I calmly replied that I would work two days a week until the end of the year, using my approved vacation for the rest. Everyone assumed I’d eventually give in. What they didn’t know was that I was already interviewing with competitors and planning my next move.
Now I wonder whether quitting during their busiest season would be petty—or whether guilt is keeping me somewhere that no longer values me. I gave them three years without a break. Sometimes standing up for yourself means deciding your work-life balance deserves respect.