You’re One Of The Reasons I Need A Holiday So Badly

(I work for a major supermarket. Normally, I get along with all my colleagues and am always happy to do them favours, like swapping shifts, provided I am not doing anything. However, one colleague has a habit of seeing last-minute holiday deals and then booking them before she checks she can have the time off. Then, if management tells her too many people are off, she tries to bully other staff into cancelling their holiday. Sadly, many buckle and give in to her. This time around, I have a week off in the same week she wants, and a manager has the other free week off. She knows she can’t bully the manager, so while I am on break she comes up to me.)

Colleague: “Oh, hey, [My Name], you’re on holiday in a few weeks, right?

(I nod, knowing where this is going.)

Colleague: “Oh, well, I just booked this beautiful holiday in the Maldives. Beautiful resort. Great bargain. The kids are so excited. The trouble is, management said they can’t give me the time off because you’re off. Would you cancel your holiday?”

Me: “No.”

Colleague: “No? What do you mean, ‘no’? You’re not going anywhere; you never go anywhere. What difference does it make if you take your holiday time another week?”

Me: “I actually have plans—”

Colleague: “Yeah, probably sleeping! That’s not ‘plans.’ You are so selfish, after all the favours I have done for you.”

Me: “You’ve never done me any favours. I’ve swapped several shifts for you over the years, including New Years because you said you wanted to spend time with your kids, but every time I ask to swap a shift with you, you always refuse.”

Colleague: “Well, you don’t have kids! It doesn’t matter when you take holiday. My kids are so excited about this holiday! You’re going to upset them! And I’ve already paid my deposit; I’ll lose it if I cancel now.”

Me: “Maybe you should have checked you could have the time off before you booked the holiday.”

Colleague: “You are such a selfish b****! What are you doing that is so important that you won’t give up your holiday time?”

Me: “I’m going to my cousin’s wedding.”

Colleague: “What, for a whole week? That’s bulls***!”

Me: “Actually, I’m planning to spend most of the week catching up with my family up there. I haven’t seen them in years.”

Colleague: “Well, it’s just a cousin. They’re not important, and if you haven’t seen them in years, that’s your fault. You could see them anytime. I need that holiday week more than you.”

(She continued to piss and moan, calling me selfish, demanding I cancel my holiday. She tried to guilt me into submission by reminding me her kids were so excited, how upset they would be if they couldn’t go, how I was going to make them cry, and how they hadn’t had a holiday like this in years, which was an utter lie. Having had enough of her, I got up and walked away, because if I didn’t I was going to lose my temper. However, I immediately put in a complaint to HR and to the duty manager. The manager had a word with her and told her she can’t make people cancel their holiday. She claimed she had just asked me nicely and I took it the wrong way and the complaint went no further, though my colleague did at least stop bugging me. Fast forward several weeks. I returned to work after my holiday and found no trace of my colleague. Usually, as soon as anyone who refused to cancel got back from holiday, she would waste no time in trying to make them feel bad. I soon learned that my colleague was fired. Turns out that she called in sick the week I was on holiday. The managers got suspicious, as this was the exact week she wanted off. They did some digging, where they saw pictures on her Facebook account that proved she went ahead and went on holiday, anyway, so she was immediately dismissed.)