Woman Exposes Manager’s Gaslighting Response to Her Paid Time off Request; Some Call It ‘Power Trip'

After denying an employee's request for paid time off, a manager lost it and made inappropriate comments. The user @unoreverse706 published the video, and it has gone viral. The caption clarifies that the manager responded angrily and began "gaslighting" the employee after they only said they should have been granted paid time off as part of their benefits.

A screenshot of a call between the manager and the employee is shown in the video. There's a background voice that sounds like the manager. As though we were living it, the TikToker narrates the scenario as follows: "Imagine your supervisors rejecting your request for time off and then making you question your abilities. This is what actually transpired," they write. In the recorded clip, the supervisor tells the employee, "The way you're talking about this PTO situation is inappropriate and petty."

Their conversation continues with the supervisor explaining why they reacted the way they did: "The way you're talking about this and bringing it up, it's not the best approach. Sometimes, the answer will be 'no,' and you have to accept that. I understand it's frustrating, but that's just how it is. This time, it's a 'no'." Then, the supervisor suggests how they wished the employee had responded to the denial of their paid time off: "I wish you had said something like, 'I understand and respect my job. This request is for a family emergency.' That would have been a better way to handle it."

The supervisor then mentions that the way the employee reacted to the denial of their PTO request might be why it's being rejected again: "Your reaction made it difficult to reconsider." "There were some assumptions in your email, and it wasn't appropriate to address two managers like that. So, it's hard for me to advocate for you when it seems like you're not building a good relationship with us."

They continue, "Moving forward, there needs to be more respect. Your behavior was inappropriate, and I wouldn't speak to Jordan and Mariam that way, even if I felt like it. It's disappointing because I've been flexible, understanding, and kind to you."She continued to tell the employee, "I want to make it very clear that just because I'm kind and understanding doesn't mean I'm weak. If someone behaves inappropriately, I need to be firm that it shouldn't happen again."

Some viewers of the video disagreed with the idea of requesting time off, seeing it more as a courtesy to inform management of their absence. One TikToker commented, "I don't request time off. I just let them know when I won't be working." Many expressed exhaustion with toxic corporate environments, with one person stating, "I'm so over it."

Another person, claiming to work in human resources, chimed in, "HR here- It’s none of her business what your PTO is for. I don’t see a problem with what you said at all. Some managers are on such a power trip I swear."

Many others shared their concerns about the worker being stuck in a potentially toxic workplace, feeling that they shouldn't have to justify their use of paid time off or worry about their supervisor's approval. "You shouldn't have to explain PTO," one person commented. Another empathized, saying, "I wish I could quit her job for her."

Several people criticized the manager's condescending tone, with one person calling it "awful" and questioning if she had been fired. One user suggested that the problem lies in the disconnect between managers and workers in corporate jobs, highlighting a misunderstanding of priorities: "These managers and HR think your whole life revolves around a job." 

Others pointed out the irony of the manager policing the worker's tone about PTO: "So she's tone policing you on PTO?" "They love to police our tone when we stand up for ourselves," another commented.

Have you ever faced trouble at work because you felt your managers didn't like how you spoke or responded to them denying you certain job privileges? Follow @unoreverse706 here on TikTok for more such videos on PTO and compensation.