A few days ago, I found myself in an uncomfortable situation when my coworker, Lisa, asked me to swap vacation time. I had requested my vacation months in advance, with all my plans—flights, hotel bookings, and activities—already in place. I was really looking forward to the time off and couldn’t imagine any hiccups.
Then, last week, Lisa realized her kids’ school break coincided with the same week as mine. She approached me, smiling, and asked if I would be willing to swap my vacation for hers so she could take her kids on a trip. I explained politely that I had everything set up, with most of my bookings non-refundable.
Her demeanor quickly shifted. “Seriously? Can’t you be more flexible? It’s just you—it’s not like you have kids to worry about,” she said. That comment stung. I calmly responded, “Just because I don’t have kids doesn’t mean my time off isn’t important.” Lisa walked away, visibly upset.
I thought that would be the end of it, but it wasn’t. Since then, she’s been giving me cold glares and short responses. The tension was palpable, and it didn’t take long for word to spread around the office.
The next day, my boss called me into an unscheduled meeting. “I’ve been hearing about the situation with Lisa. She’s in a tough spot. Maybe you could’ve been more understanding and flexible with your vacation plans?” he said. I was taken aback. It felt as though my plans didn’t matter just because I don’t have children. I calmly explained, “I’ve already made non-refundable arrangements, and my time off is important too.” He seemed uncomfortable but didn’t push the issue further.
Now, I’m left wondering—did I make the wrong choice? Was I supposed to cancel my carefully planned trip just because Lisa is a mom?
