For the last five Christmases, I’ve asked for one simple thing: a week off to go home and see my family. And for five straight years, my boss shut it down—every single time. The excuse always changed: “We’re too busy.” “We’re understaffed.” “It’s not a priority right now.” Different wording, same result: no.
This year, I tried to beat him at his own game. I submitted my request in June—months early—so there would be no last-minute staffing excuse. I thought I was being smart.
Then last week, the approvals came through. Four coworkers got Christmas week off.
And once again… not me.
When I asked why, my boss barely looked up and said I should be a “team player” since I don’t have kids—so I “don’t really need” Christmas off. Something in me just went completely quiet. I smiled, said, “Okay,” and walked away.
But I wasn’t done.
The very next day, I sent a calm, extremely polite email to the whole group. I congratulated everyone who got approved, then laid out the facts: five years of denied requests, the reason given this year, and how tired I was of being the automatic sacrifice. I asked if anyone would be willing to trade even a single day with me, offering overtime and extra coverage in return.
And yes—I CC’d HR.
The reaction was immediate. My boss looked visibly panicked the moment he saw it. By the end of the day, coworkers were coming to my desk apologizing and offering to shuffle their schedules so I could finally go home.
But the twist? Before anyone even needed to swap a day, HR stepped in.
By the next morning, my Christmas week was officially approved—and HR informed my boss that future vacation requests would be handled through them instead of him.
My boss hasn’t spoken to me since.
Hitting “send” was honestly terrifying. But it was also the first time in five years I didn’t stay quiet—and the system actually corrected itself. I’m proud of myself, grateful for my coworkers, and still a little shocked by how fast everything changed.
Maybe I rocked the boat… but after five years of being pushed aside, what other option did I really have?
