How to handle awkward PTO request

[Anonymous]

Just approve the leave. The employee will resent you if you don't approve it. You'll be making a bad impression as a newish manager.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My direct report, who is experienced, asked for PTO for one week. I told her the proposed dates were fine and to submit the dates through our tool so I could approve, and also to email the admin to record on our team calendar, with me in cc.

She sent the email, but after a week of not seeing the request to approve the time off, I reminded her at our next 1:1 in case she had forgotten. She said something about not having access to the tool but she expected to have the issue resolved soon.

When I finally got the approval request, it’s for the week after the original proposed week. Immediately after, I get an email. She had sent an update email to the admin where I was cc’d saying she had to change these dates dates, hope it’s ok.

She addressed the email to me and the admin. She’s based in Europe and I am in the US. The week she now wants is the same week as Thanksgiving which she is well aware of. We won’t have coverage on our team for the 2 days the US team is off, or more if others take the week off.

I need to address this because I feel she should have handled this differently. For starters, she should have come back to me asking to switch the dates instead of submitting the new dates via the tool where the only options are to approve or deny- no comments. Also, the admin doesn’t approve her PTO so why would she send the email to both of us asking if it’s ok to change the dates?

What’s the best way to handle this?

Lots of people not seeing any significance here? I run global ops for US company, and whether your employee is American living in Europe matters. Also the actually country in which she works/is a citizen. It matters both from a legal perspective and from a cultural one.

[Anonymous]

So she did not follow the procedure and changed the dates on you without asking you personally first?

But her planned PTO isn't last-minute, OP. We're in early September, for God's sake. How early would she have to ask to get Thanksgiving off? Are you discriminating because she's in Europe? Surely you can plan for her PTO?

You seem to be taking this really personally. If this were any other employee, would you be this mad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My direct report, who is experienced, asked for PTO for one week. I told her the proposed dates were fine and to submit the dates through our tool so I could approve, and also to email the admin to record on our team calendar, with me in cc.

She sent the email, but after a week of not seeing the request to approve the time off, I reminded her at our next 1:1 in case she had forgotten. She said something about not having access to the tool but she expected to have the issue resolved soon.

When I finally got the approval request, it’s for the week after the original proposed week. Immediately after, I get an email. She had sent an update email to the admin where I was cc’d saying she had to change these dates dates, hope it’s ok.

She addressed the email to me and the admin. She’s based in Europe and I am in the US. The week she now wants is the same week as Thanksgiving which she is well aware of. We won’t have coverage on our team for the 2 days the US team is off, or more if others take the week off.

I need to address this because I feel she should have handled this differently. For starters, she should have come back to me asking to switch the dates instead of submitting the new dates via the tool where the only options are to approve or deny- no comments. Also, the admin doesn’t approve her PTO so why would she send the email to both of us asking if it’s ok to change the dates?

What’s the best way to handle this?

Lots of people not seeing any significance here? I run global ops for US company, and whether your employee is American living in Europe matters. Also the actually country in which she works/is a citizen. It matters both from a legal perspective and from a cultural one.

Apparently here it doesn't, unless OP isn't telling us something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My direct report, who is experienced, asked for PTO for one week. I told her the proposed dates were fine and to submit the dates through our tool so I could approve, and also to email the admin to record on our team calendar, with me in cc.

She sent the email, but after a week of not seeing the request to approve the time off, I reminded her at our next 1:1 in case she had forgotten. She said something about not having access to the tool but she expected to have the issue resolved soon.

When I finally got the approval request, it’s for the week after the original proposed week. Immediately after, I get an email. She had sent an update email to the admin where I was cc’d saying she had to change these dates dates, hope it’s ok.

She addressed the email to me and the admin. She’s based in Europe and I am in the US. The week she now wants is the same week as Thanksgiving which she is well aware of. We won’t have coverage on our team for the 2 days the US team is off, or more if others take the week off.

I need to address this because I feel she should have handled this differently. For starters, she should have come back to me asking to switch the dates instead of submitting the new dates via the tool where the only options are to approve or deny- no comments. Also, the admin doesn’t approve her PTO so why would she send the email to both of us asking if it’s ok to change the dates?

What’s the best way to handle this?

Lots of people not seeing any significance here? I run global ops for US company, and whether your employee is American living in Europe matters. Also the actually country in which she works/is a citizen. It matters both from a legal perspective and from a cultural one.

Apparently here it doesn't, unless OP isn't telling us something.

It does though. OP said she's a new manager, this is something she needs to take into consideration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll ask her the reason for the change, but I can’t get past this feeling that she did this intentionally. Like she knew all along that she wanted the thanksgiving week off but handled it this way instead. The reason I feel this way is, when she originally raised the subject, she mentioned that the time could be during Thanksgiving. When I asked her for the dates, I told her it was fine, it wasn’t during holiday. Then for her to do this? It makes me feel…like I’m being manipulated.

Is she American?

I'm French living in the US, and for many years I didn't know off the top of my head when Thanksgiving was, or how important it was for Americans. I can totally see how she wouldn't have known precisely the first time she contacted you about her PTO. For her it's just one day when Americans eat a lot. It took me a while to understand that actually, people take Friday off too (in my office lots of people still worked on that Friday - I didn't realize a lot of them where internationals like me!) and some just leave for the week.

Please don't assume she manipulated you.

[Anonymous]

were, not where

[Anonymous]

OP, is a heart surgery going to get botched if someone isnt there to cover for 2 days during what is a very slow week here in the US? What is the worst thing that will happen by her taking this time off?

I think it was unintentional on her part. She isnt in the US. People dont usually think about cultures other than their own, it isnt personal or malicious. Just like me, in a former role of mine where I worked with a number of colleagues in Asia and tried to schedule a project for a late Jan kickoff 😁

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll ask her the reason for the change, but I can’t get past this feeling that she did this intentionally. Like she knew all along that she wanted the thanksgiving week off but handled it this way instead. The reason I feel this way is, when she originally raised the subject, she mentioned that the time could be during Thanksgiving. When I asked her for the dates, I told her it was fine, it wasn’t during holiday. Then for her to do this? It makes me feel…like I’m being manipulated.

Is she American?

I'm French living in the US, and for many years I didn't know off the top of my head when Thanksgiving was, or how important it was for Americans. I can totally see how she wouldn't have known precisely the first time she contacted you about her PTO. For her it's just one day when Americans eat a lot. It took me a while to understand that actually, people take Friday off too (in my office lots of people still worked on that Friday - I didn't realize a lot of them where internationals like me!) and some just leave for the week.

Please don't assume she manipulated you.

🙄

You sound slow.

There’s literally a whole article in the WSJ about how the French love taking time off, especially when they can extend a weekend or long weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll ask her the reason for the change, but I can’t get past this feeling that she did this intentionally. Like she knew all along that she wanted the thanksgiving week off but handled it this way instead. The reason I feel this way is, when she originally raised the subject, she mentioned that the time could be during Thanksgiving. When I asked her for the dates, I told her it was fine, it wasn’t during holiday. Then for her to do this? It makes me feel…like I’m being manipulated.

Is she American?

I'm French living in the US, and for many years I didn't know off the top of my head when Thanksgiving was, or how important it was for Americans. I can totally see how she wouldn't have known precisely the first time she contacted you about her PTO. For her it's just one day when Americans eat a lot. It took me a while to understand that actually, people take Friday off too (in my office lots of people still worked on that Friday - I didn't realize a lot of them where internationals like me!) and some just leave for the week.

Please don't assume she manipulated you.

🙄

You sound slow.

There’s literally a whole article in the WSJ about how the French love taking time off, especially when they can extend a weekend or long weekend.

Nothing to do with the topic, which is Thanksgiving. Europeans don't have Thanksgiving. Why are you so nasty?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll ask her the reason for the change, but I can’t get past this feeling that she did this intentionally. Like she knew all along that she wanted the thanksgiving week off but handled it this way instead. The reason I feel this way is, when she originally raised the subject, she mentioned that the time could be during Thanksgiving. When I asked her for the dates, I told her it was fine, it wasn’t during holiday. Then for her to do this? It makes me feel…like I’m being manipulated.

Is she American?

I'm French living in the US, and for many years I didn't know off the top of my head when Thanksgiving was, or how important it was for Americans. I can totally see how she wouldn't have known precisely the first time she contacted you about her PTO. For her it's just one day when Americans eat a lot. It took me a while to understand that actually, people take Friday off too (in my office lots of people still worked on that Friday - I didn't realize a lot of them where internationals like me!) and some just leave for the week.

Please don't assume she manipulated you.

🙄

You sound slow.

There’s literally a whole article in the WSJ about how the French love taking time off, especially when they can extend a weekend or long weekend.

*She* sounds slow?

You completely missed the point of what she said and then referenced an article that is....not relevant to the OP's question. Well done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, is a heart surgery going to get botched if someone isnt there to cover for 2 days during what is a very slow week here in the US? What is the worst thing that will happen by her taking this time off?

I think it was unintentional on her part. She isnt in the US. People dont usually think about cultures other than their own, it isnt personal or malicious. Just like me, in a former role of mine where I worked with a number of colleagues in Asia and tried to schedule a project for a late Jan kickoff 😁

This. Don’t overthink it.

[Anonymous]

Is Thanksgiving a holiday that your company offers to employees? She did give a ton of notice. So it’s hard to see why this is a problem

[Anonymous]

You could email her and remove the admin and let her know that is the week of American Thanksgiving and does she have any flexibility to switch to her original requested date or the following week. If it’s something outside of her control, and you’re ok covering for her on a holiday, then sure. But she 100% knew what she was doing and did it exactly this way to manipulate you. If it was an honest mistake and she got the dates wrong, she would have reached out to you directly, apologized for the mistake and the bad timing, knowing it’s a holiday for those of us in the US. She’s being super shady and if it were me, I would deny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could email her and remove the admin and let her know that is the week of American Thanksgiving and does she have any flexibility to switch to her original requested date or the following week. If it’s something outside of her control, and you’re ok covering for her on a holiday, then sure. But she 100% knew what she was doing and did it exactly this way to manipulate you. If it was an honest mistake and she got the dates wrong, she would have reached out to you directly, apologized for the mistake and the bad timing, knowing it’s a holiday for those of us in the US. She’s being super shady and if it were me, I would deny.

It's really obvious that a) you're a deceitful person so easy to see it/project onto others and b) you know nothing about working in multinational environments and c) you're either not a manager or a lousy one