My boss revoked my approved birthday day off at the last minute, so I finally stopped playing nice. I sent a company-wide email calling out the lack of respect for basic boundaries—and it sparked a chain reaction I never expected.
Coworkers spoke up, some even quit, and management panicked when clients noticed. I’m job hunting at 50 now, but I don’t regret walking away. Sometimes standing up for yourself isn’t dramatic—it’s overdue.