Boss denies payroll employee’s vacation for her sister’s wedding because she’s ‘too essential’, despite her asking to train a backup for months: ‘I’ve never been so angry’

When does being “too essential” become a management problem?

Becoming too good at your job can work wonders for your career. You can progress quickly, earn more money, and basically become more powerful inside your company. Sometimes, this can have an unexpected outcome: becoming too valuable. This value needs to be shared with others, because then you are irreplaceable and end up not being able to take some time off or enjoy other advantages.

This payroll specialist decided to ask for two days off for her sister’s wedding, with three weeks’ notice, which is double the recommended time. She was expecting her boss to comply, since it’s only two days and there are others in the team. Her manager didn’t think about it twice and decided to cancel the PTO, since it was closing week and they needed her more than ever.

She understood this, since she’s the only one who knows how to run and close the entire month’s process, so she suggested she could train one of her coworkers to do it. Once again, her manager refused because there’s no time, and she’s too valuable to be gone during that time of the month. And in this point is in which she questions everything she’s done for the company.