At What Point Do You Make Too Much Money To Take Vacation?

A massive perk to moving up in the workforce is the sweet benefits. Companies offer paid time off, healthcare, and 401K plans to entice skilled workers to join their teams. 

But is there ever a point where you make too much money for a vacation? Can a company claim all your free time and tell you that you don’t deserve time off because they give you too much money?

One company tried to tell a contractor worker they make too much for a vacation. 

No Vacation for You

The Original Poster (OP) said they’re a highly efficient consultant, bringing their company in boatloads of money. 

They asked for three weeks off in December to celebrate the holidays, but their boss denied the vacation time, saying, “We pay you too much to be taking vacations.”

OP Makes $55,000 Per Year

OP doesn’t even bring in six fingers. The $55,000 salary also includes bonuses. 

If we squint really hard, we could see a company telling an influential executive pulling in multiple six figures that they couldn’t have a vacation, but saying $55,000 is too much for a break is laughable. 

Not Asking, Telling

One user reminded all the subs users that our bosses don’t control our lives. We’re not asking for vacation time; we’re giving our bosses notice that we will be unavailable for those days. 

OP should take their vacation anyway. They gave nearly three months’ notice, and if the company can’t function without them for a few weeks, then that’s the company’s problem. 

Find Another Job

Any boss who thinks $55,000 is too much for a vacation is out of touch with reality. First, everyone deserves a break, regardless of how much they earn. A salary shouldn’t factor into the amount of vacation time someone gets. 

Second, $55,000 is barely a living wage. OP makes a little over $20 per hour. They make less than both the average salary and the median salary.  

Some comments dug into what OP does for a living, and as it turns out, they’re vastly underpaid for their work in IT integrations. Most said OP should command a salary of at least $80,000. 

Start Your Own Business

OP claims they make their company $20,000 weekly but only keep about $1000 for themselves. The rest goes to line the corporate coffers and pay their numerous owners. 

Many users pointed out the vast discrepancy and advised OP to go into business for themselves. 

They’d make far more money if they did only a quarter of the work they’re currently doing. 

Stop Letting Companies Control Your Life

The bottom line is companies feel they have far too much power over their workers. Bosses feel entitled to their employee’s labor whenever and wherever they want. They deny vacations, force overtime, and assign shifts at random like it’s a game to see how much they can exert control over their staff’s free time. 

Employees need to stand up and say they aren’t going to take it. Our personal lives are just as, if not more important than, our work lives, and it’s time we let employers know that we’re taking a much-deserved vacation. 

Source: Reddit

Author: Melanie Allen

Title: Journalist

Expertise: Pursuing Your Passions, Travel, Wellness, Hobbies, Finance, Gaming, Happiness

Melanie Allen is an American journalist and happiness expert. She has bylines on MSN, the AP News Wire, Wealth of Geeks, Media Decision, and numerous media outlets across the nation and is a certified happiness life coach. She covers a wide range of topics centered around self-actualization and the quest for a fulfilling life.