You’d think “entitlement” means you have every right to use something as long as it’s within the rules. But for one Redditor in Singapore, that wasn’t quite the case at her workplace.
The individual recently wrote a lengthy post titled “Thoughts on employees utilising the entire annual leave entitlement.” There, she shared that she was “disturbed” by a comment her boss made about her taking time off.
She explained: “He told me that I’ve been maximising my annual leaves and whatever leave benefits I have. For context, I was on maternity leave early this year and returned sometime in April.”
Her job grants her 21 days of annual leave, but the company doesn’t allow unused days to be carried forward, and only permits encashment for employees who resign. Because she returned in April without using any leave, she had been trying to clear all her days before the year ends.
“I had already planned to clear 2 weeks’ worth of leave end of December and had communicated this to him early on. I’ve not even taken any MC since I returned from maternity,” she wrote. She added that although she had been hospitalised earlier this month and given 10 days of home leave, she returned to work after only four.
Her boss, however, made it “seem bad” that she was utilising all 21 days — which would otherwise be forfeited — and commented that he himself hadn’t had the chance to take leave due to their heavy workload.
“At his pay grade, of course I wouldn’t mind that trade-off either. He told me he will be forgoing some of his leaves, having leaves doesn’t mean we must utilise it all. Then what’s the point of giving 21 days of AL? As a junior, entry-level employee, it feels unfair for him to expect me to do the same when our job grades are clearly different,” she continued, ending her post with the question: “Am I in the wrong for utilising all my annual leaves?”
Netizens quickly weighed in, with most encouraging her to take her leave regardless of what her boss said.
Many pointed out that annual leave is a contractual entitlement and no boss should “guilt-trip” employees for using it.
They also argued that if her boss couldn’t take his own leave, that was his own issue — not hers. Some felt it showed he was “resentful” of his workload and simply wanted someone to “suffer with him.”
Others weren’t surprised, saying such “toxic” work culture exists in many organisations, but urged her to stand firm since she was fully within her rights.
“[You’re] not wrong at all! it’s supposed to be used! Maximise is as much as you can. Don’t tire yourself out and get burnt out just for a junior level pay,” one commenter wrote.
Others called him a “shit boss,” with one saying it was simply his problem if he was unhappy. He was also labelled a “red flag,” with some even encouraging the OP to quit so she wouldn’t have to deal with him.
Even HR professionals chimed in, with one saying the boss clearly wanted her to be “a corporate slave.”
When one netizen suggested her absence might increase colleagues’ workloads, others swiftly countered that “it’s the company’s responsibility to manage the workload and hire maternity covers” — not hers.
Still, one commenter added a note of realism: “Do you want to risk upsetting your relationship with your boss just because you want to clear all your leaves?”
Ultimately, the OP received overwhelming reassurance that she should use her annual leave without guilt. Many shared that their companies actually remind employees to clear all their days before year-end — proof that her situation isn’t the norm elsewhere.
As one netizen bluntly put it: “Tell your boss to buy a dictionary and look up the definition of the word ‘entitlement.”
What would you do in her position?
Photos: Reddit, energepic.com/ Pexels