I worked at my company for two years without a single real vacation. Every time I asked, my boss said, “Now’s not a good time,” or “The team needs you.” I kept pushing through — late nights, weekends, missed holidays — until I finally burned out. When I emailed HR requesting a month off, my boss snapped: “If you leave, don’t come back.”

I was shocked. I’d earned those days; they were legally mine. HR reached out and asked for details, so I sent every email showing how he’d delayed my vacation requests. A week later, they called us both into a meeting. HR told him, “You can’t deny earned time off — it’s against company policy.” He had no choice but to approve it.

When I returned from my trip, things were different. My boss barely spoke to me and nitpicked everything I did. I figured he was still angry — until I learned he wasn’t just difficult with me. Turns out, HR had been tracking similar complaints from others. A few months later, he was “asked to leave.”

All I wanted was a break, but I ended up reclaiming more than just time off — I got my self-respect back. That experience taught me an important lesson: taking a vacation isn’t selfish. It’s your right, and no job is worth sacrificing your health or peace of mind.