I asked for a week off. Just PTO. No reason given — because I shouldn’t need to.
My boss called me in and said, “Before I approve this, I need to know exactly why you’re taking time off.”
I told him it was personal. He said, “Personal isn’t a reason.”

So I reported it to HR — not to stir trouble, just to clarify if I really needed to “justify” my time off. They confirmed: I didn’t. PTO is PTO.

I figured it was done.

Then HR forwarded me an email — from my boss — claiming I showed “insubordination” and was “emotionally unstable and avoiding transparency.”

He tried to flip the situation. Suddenly I was being assessed.

I defended myself. I showed the initial policy screenshots HR had sent me. HR said they’d “look into it.”

Two weeks later, I got an email:

“Your PTO is approved. Please coordinate coverage with your team.”

No apology. No resolution. My boss still cc’s HR on every email he sends me. He hasn’t spoken to me directly since.

He’s not fired. I’m not vindicated.
We just… coexist. In silence. Professional tension on life support.

I got my week off — but it cost me something I can’t quite name. Trust, maybe.