Manager forbids use of 'use it or lose it' PTO, employee finds loophole to take vacation time: 'Two hours every morning next week, two hours every afternoon the week after, a random Friday 3 to 5 to watch a plumber'

In this story, workers were left in a frustrating situation when HR informed them that they had to use their remaining PTO by the end of the month or lose their entitlement to it. The issue was that their manager did not allow any of them to take any time off during this period of time.

However, one employee took it upon themselves to read the handbook. They then realized that if they could get vacation requests processed without a denial within a specific period of time, they would be automatically approved. They took the opportunity to use this to their advantage, and many of their coworkers followed suit. This sneaky way of taking PTO ended up changing the system for their company.