I booked 2 weeks off for Christmas — officially approved since May. Last week, a coworker found a “dream holiday deal,” but her dates overlapped with mine. She turned to me and said, “Why take time off? You don’t have kids! Christmas is for families!” I declined her request as politely as I could.
The next morning, HR asked to see me. As I stepped inside, the lights went off. Then I froze, when suddenly, they lit one of those “holiday spirit” candles.
One of them clasped my hand warmly and said, “You understand how important Christmas is for parents, don’t you?” The other slid an envelope toward me. “A little token for your holiday spirit,” they said. Inside was a $100 gift card — a “gesture of appreciation” for giving up my Christmas leave.
