A TikToker recently went viral after she claimed her boss refused to let her take vacation time off, despite it being included in her contract. User Kaylina (kaylinaaaaa), discussed in her video how her manager allowed other co-workers to take their time off with no issue, but when she requested off 6 weeks in advance, her boss suddenly wouldn’t allow it.
Kaylina took her story to the TikTok platform in hopes of finding legal advice. “I need somebody to tell me if it’s illegal to not have vacation time,” she demands at the beginning of her clip.
In her nearly three-minute explanation, Kaylina stated that she had found a good deal on a flight to Houston six weeks in the future. She claimed that she didn’t even think to ask if taking the trip would be okay, which is justified given that it was still six weeks away and she would have plenty of time to get her days off approved by management.
Her boss however, had a different idea of what was going to happen. Kaylina says when she arrived at work soon after booking her trip, her boss inquired about what her time-off request was implying. Kaylina responded that she was “going on vacation.” To this, the TikToker’s boss began to get a little hostile.
Her manager replied to Kaylina’s confession by saying, “Well I hope you didn’t book anything.” To which Kaylina responded plainly, “I did.”
“Well I hope you got insurance on whatever you booked because I can’t make any promises to you.” Her manager responded, according to Kaylina’s explanation.
The TikToker claimed that her manager’s excuse for not approving the time off was that the company was currently “short-staffed.” Kaylina used this opportunity to bring up that another co-worker was currently on vacation. Her manager then claimed that this co-worker had requested her time off “3 months in advance,” but Kaylina noted that the business had only been short-staffed for about one month.
The manager continued to spout out false information, claiming that Kaylina’s position wasn’t entitled to vacation time and that she would need to cover her booking charges with insurance. She also stated that she wouldn’t cover Kaylina for her 12 hour shift, but according to the creator, Kaylina had worked a 12 hour shift the day before to cover for said manager.
“I’m going on this vacation no matter what. I don’t care what she says. What is she gonna do, fire me? No, because she needs me.”
Kaylina’s TikTok PSA of her boss not allowing her to take her vacation time brought in over 1 million viewers.
By doing a little bit of sleuthing, Kaylina came across an email stating that full-time workers such as herself are entitled to vacation time after working with the company for 90 days. The frustrated TikToker then shared with her viewers that she had been with the company for four months, exceeding this 90-day limit and therefore being eligible to take her Houston vacay.
By the end of the clip, Kaylina stated that she was fixing to be “looking for a new job.” Viewers supported her in the situation and explained that she had every right to her vacation time. Many pushed the notion that it’s “better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”
What are your thoughts on Kaylina’s situation? Do you think it’s ultimately up to management whether or not you get time off? Or is this TikToker completely valid for following the steps of requesting vacation time and being upset that she was denied?
Let us know!