Well, this guy seems to think it's a big deal that he's taken his first day off in a WHOPPING THREE WEEKS, so I personally have no sympathy.

Nooo, I'm the daughter of a prostitute and car thief, whatever the heck that has to do with anything. But I sympathize with the business who has to deal with an employee who thinks that not having a day off in 3 weeks is soooo damn bad. Of course, too, I'm assuming he took a personal day and didn't call in sick based upon the secretary paging him, but if he just called in sick, that's even more pathetic. ...and Americans can't figure out why businesses want to outsource.

But they do want to get paid...and they don't want to pay the price for it, unlike those in other countries who are willing to put up with shit in exchange. That's my irk in a nutshell.

Exactly my point--you equate working three weeks without a day off (and notice the OP's emphasis; this obviously doesn't happen very often) with "put[ting] up with heaps of shit." And no, I'm not saying they should put up with shit whatsoever--but if they can't deal with their working conditions, they aren't ENTITLED to have them changed--they're entitled to say "**** you" and QUIT and either find a job that caters to their pansy asses or simply not work--and then either die or be self-sufficient. It's all supply and demand. If it weren't for America's bullshit protectionist policies, perhaps more people would realize this---if you won't do the crappy job for the pay, generally speaking, someone else out there without this bullshit American sense of entitlement WILL.

"willing to" and "should" are two totally different statements--don't try to twist my words. If they want the check, YES, they should be willing to put up with whatever it takes. If not, they SHOULD NOT have to, but they sure as **** shouldn't be or feel entitled to their jobs at that point either. There's two sides to the supply and demand issue--once workers aren't willing to put up with their working conditions (this is in an ideal world where the government doesn't artificially prop up the workers, as happens in America, FYI) and they QUIT, then the business owners either cater to the desires of their ex-employees and prospective employees until they will work there, or their business fails. So, per your example, either everyone would quit once they didn't get enough time off and the business would either cater or fail, OR other workers (if they were given the opportunity) in the world would do the job and the business would still function In other words, if you can't do your job once your days off are taken away, either someone else WILL or you all quit and don't value your life enough to continue your job (--based upon the liberal argument that one is entitled to a job and a happy/healthy life, and one cannot possibly be self sufficient anymore) or the BUSINESS will fail UNLESS it caters to the desires of its employees to the extent necessary to get them to come back (or get the other workers out there to come in).

Why such a big load of bullshit dr. pepper? "I sympathize with a business that doesn't have employees who will work to the brink of slave labor. And smite any who complain!" Was that so hard old chap?

Well, you see nokillnobeepbeep...Dr. Pepper is stuck in the Industrial revolution. His idea of an ideal business is one where the employment staff is between the ages of 6 and 12 and the hourly wage is 3 cents per week.

3 whole weeks without a day off. I've gone six months with 1 day off, and that was to take my daughter to the hospital. If I took off every 3 weeks, I'd be fired.

So it should be completely normal for humans to work 21 days straight with no time off? No day to spend with your friends or spouse or kids? We should just be expected to work and work and work until we die? time4coffee, if you work 6 months straight with no days off, when do you find time to be with your daughter?

I'm kinda confused about what happened at 7:12 am... And on what day was that?? The day he took off? Or the day AFTER the day he took off?? Did she print the page to his printer via a backwards-VPN connection? Or did he wind up back at the office by sleep walking and find the page sitting on his desk, thus pulling him out of his zombie-like sleep walking session? Seems too weird to me.

Oh really?

wow

Exactly what I was thinking, lol.

Maybe it's genuinely the first free day - i.e. he might have worked 21 days straight, without a weekend off. Given that the vast majority of us get two days off per week the guy might deserve some slack.

most jobs dont allow work for more than 5 days in a row. Lots of overtime or bitchy boss wont give a day off

You work 21 days in a row often?

I've never worked that many days in a row, but my boss at McDonalds had me work for 30 hours straight once. Yes, she asked me, but I'm a total pushover and said yes. It sucked, but I'm just fine. But I am glad to see I'm not the only one who doesn't see this as that big of a deal...the poor lady was either trying to do something nice or trying to ruin his day because he's a total jerk. Either way, whatever.