Looking for an HR perspective on whether this is appropriate.
I’m on approved PTO that my manager personally approved. I have auto-replies set on my work email and phone, and my work phone rolls to the office while I’m out.
A collaborative project I had been working on was delayed after my PTO started. My manager first texted my work number, then my personal phone, asking if “we” needed to call the customer prior to notifying them of the delay. I did not respond because I was on PTO.
A couple days later, he called and left a voicemail saying he didn’t want to “step in the middle of the ball game” and that I needed to call my counterpart because the customer was upset. Again, I did not respond.
He later called again stating leadership was escalating, implying the customer was losing faith in the company, and he needed contacts from me to help resolve the situation. The contact information for said customer was on the paperwork for the project. At that point, I blocked his number on my personal phone.
After that, he messaged me on Facebook asking me to call him. Two minutes later, a district manager from the collaborating department he referenced in the voicemail also messaged me on Facebook asking me to call him. I muted both and did not reply.
I recently raised concerns to my manager’s manager about retaliatory behavior by my direct manager.
I’m trying to understand best practices here and whether this crosses HR boundaries.
PTO is a way to pay to you.
It is as “protected” as your management cares to make it. If they are calling you to weigh in on time critical issues and you choose not to… that can be career limiting.
“Retaliating” against you for not taking their calls or messages would be legal. It may be “inappropriate” based on your work’s culture, but management makes the rules. So, tread carefully unless you want to die on this hill.
“HR boundaries” are a figment of your imagination. There are organizational policies/guidelines. There’s a work culture. You left your colleagues and client flapping in the wind despite knowing there was a crisis in progress. Your unprofessional “personal boundaries” will likely lead to your termination.
Personally, I would fire you. I say this as someone who is very easy to work for. I don’t micro manage people’s coming and going and am very much results oriented. I also very much try to respect people’s time off whether it is leave or just after hours.
Obviously I don’t know the details of the project or why it suddenly got delayed after you started PTO but taking a phone call, PTO or not, is a pretty small ask and taking a stand like this makes me thing you are pretty insufferable in other aspects. It also shows a complete disregard for the success of your project/organization.
This is not me trying to disparage you. I obviously don’t know you. This is just how it comes off.
It sounds like they really needed to get ahold of you. Blocking them was very extreme. If my manager is contacting me on PTO I am assuming it’s extremely urgent and would answer in a heartbeat.
Blocked them from my personal cell as that is not for work… I have a work phone for business.
If that many people can’t figure how to work without me, sounds like they need to pay me more.
If I were you I’d get prepared to be paid a lot less.
Don’t think that’ll be happening with how you acted. With more pay comes higher responsibility. I don’t know anyone at a director level+ that isn’t contacted for emergencies while on PTO. PTO is not legally protected, FMLA is, which doesn’t apply here.
Curious about your thoughts, what is the point of taking vacation then? Is it not to get away from work?
I use vacation time as a detachment from work and a “recharge” period
One call to keep business rolling is life in a salaried role. What is the point of taking vacation is an absurd question - you’re being childish. You made a bad choice in not helping out. What could have been a five minute call and answer is now a thing. I’d want you off my team. Question - do you ever pop out of work to go to the dentist for a an hour or two?
PTO is time off from work but it’s not a guarantee you won’t be contacted at most places. It’s rare to find a company that truly embraces that culture and the higher up you are, the less likely it happens. It’s not because they are mean, it’s just because sometimes things happen and they need the person responsible for the action to respond.
That you called forwarded back to the office, so it wasn't helpful in contacting
Outside of personal phone or other avenues, what other solutions did they have?
Based on your behavior and attitude in this situation, you’re grossly overpaid.
Maybe the recruiters you’ll be speaking with shortly will want to discuss paying you more …
They are paying me more
I’ve learned over 20 years of work that organizations have dramatically different approaches to PTO. Some expect you to be on call, so essentially you’re off as long as they don’t need you, and at others, when you’re on PTO it’s as if you don’t work there (in a good way) and they would never consider contacting you.
This isn’t really an HR issue; there are no guarantees about the quality of PTO in any handbook I’ve ever seen. If you are in a union with specific guidelines or you are using PTO to provide pay for protected leave, my answer changes - are you?
Assuming you’re not .. not only is this technically fine, they can absolutely hold you accountable for anything that goes wrong, in their minds or in reality, because you didn’t respond.
This really depends on your position.
If my boss reached out to me on vacation I'd respond. We are a small team, very individually proficient in our areas. She would not do so unless it was urgent.
I know that.
Approved pto isn't protected, and unfortunately these instances do sometimes come up.
This isnt retaliation based upon a protected class
My guess is if that many people reached out in that many ways it was an emergency and you just burned a bridge
Honest advice..
I would clean up your resume and start job hunting, my guess is there is a strong possibility you will not have a position to return to
Or if you do, you will face difficulties with merit increases and bonuses in the future.
There are very few people and positions that cannot be replaced.
Different companies have different ways of handling pto. But this truly felt like an emergency and they needed the person with the information.
This could have been a 5 min conversation and no issue. This also could unfortunately be a huge emergency that could save a few million dollar project (i have no idea the scope). If that was the case, you could get your pto comped back to you, look like the hero and that is how "guess they should pay me more" happens.
Also this isnt an hr boundary or a legal issue. Its a business/management issue. Unfortunately, sometimes they happen.
If I did what you did, I’d be polishing my resume right now.
You might get lucky and this passes. But in a lot of- I’d wager the majority - companies, you’d be in deep shit heading back to work.
I can’t imagine the entitlement.
If I was your manager, I'd fire your ass. That PTO money comes from the revenue received from paying customers. If you can't or won't help keep a customer happy, buh-bye. :(
Your only 'protected from retaliation' leave is that carved out by law or contract. PTO typically isn't on the list.
Edit: OP has indicated in another post/thread that they are leaving the company soon. I guess they were just hoping to earn folk hero status on their way out. :eyeroll:
Every one deserves uninterrupted time off. That being said, sometimes a position is such that only one person can handle something, sounds like they really needed you and you ignored them and blocked them. Is it retaliatory to face the consequences of your actions. Nope. I would update my resume if I were you.
The only leave that fully protects you from work conversations is FMLA.
If your lack of responsiveness while on PTO damages in the company, they can fire you for it.
They can fire you for it even if it didn’t damages in the company.
I’d expect your job to be in jeopardy. PTO is not legally protected time off outside of FMLA or state sick time. you seem to have made several career limiting choices. it will be remembered
I’ll be better off
This is embarrassing dude
Name checks out
West Virginia does not appear to require PTO, so, legally, you may not have much standing in that regard.
Not knowing your company and it's policies, there is probably little explanation to be found here. Not certain what you mean by "HR boundaries" either.
If you're looking for something that says "company cannot call me when I'm on PTO" that's likely in your employee handbook. If it's not there, you cannot expect it.
Your replacement will probably get clearer instructions.