We all like to think we’d do the right thing when it matters. But the truth is, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we say no when we should say yes. Sometimes we protect ourselves a little too hard. One of our readers learned this lesson the hard way.
“Hi Bright Side!
So last year HR sent out one of those emails asking everyone to donate PTO to a coworker in another department. She had some kind of family tragedy and needed extra time off. I didn’t know her. Never even seen her face. I ignored the email.
Then my manager came by my desk and asked if I was going to contribute. I said no. She looked at me like I betrayed her. ‘I don’t even know her,’ I said.
My boss just shook his head and said, ‘That looks really bad.’ After that, a few people in my team stopped being friendly. I figured whatever, I barely have enough PTO for myself. Why should I give it to a stranger?
Three months later, I got really sick. Ended up in the hospital for two weeks. I had zero PTO left. I was panicking about bills, about my job, about everything. I was sure everyone still remembered how I refused to donate. I thought they’d let me drown.
I couldn’t even check my emails for the first few days. When I finally logged in, I saw a message from HR. My hands were shaking. I thought I was getting written up or fired.
It said 14 coworkers and my boss had donated PTO to me. Some from my team. Some from other departments. People I’d never even talked to.
One of them was the woman I refused to help. She gave me three days. I sat in my hospital bed and ugly cried for an hour. I still don’t know what to say to her. I’ve typed like ten messages and deleted all of them.
How do you apologize for being that person? Did I even deserve their help?
Camila L.”
Camila, thank you for being honest. It’s not easy to admit you were wrong, especially when the story doesn’t make you look great.
But that’s what makes this real. You made a choice. Life humbled you. And then people showed up for you anyway. That says something about them. And the fact that you’re still thinking about it says something about you too.
Consider this a lesson learned. Email everyone who helped you with a thank you and a promise that you'll do better in the future. Start with the one you decided not to help. Perhaps, upon returning to work, you can bring her some flowers as an apology for not helping her when she needed it.
This article is completely missing the point that jobs are supposed to take care of their employees even an emergency emergencies other employees should not be required to donate their PTO to other coworkers. Shaming coworkers when really the company should be shamed is absolutely insane. This article sounds like it was written by a soulless
CEO.
How dare they frame this article as not being a good person for not giving up your paid time off. The company should cover people in emergencies not the workers unless of course it is a worker owned company.
Not all companies help out their employees in the midst of an emergency, I know ours don't. If you have an employer that does, that's great, stay there. Where I work the hey view views the employees as expendable & replaceable.
Your a selfish cunt and didn't deserve a fucking hour of donations from anyone they should of allowed you to lose everything
Your language is disgusting
Here is the message I would send to each person who donated PTO to you; Thank you for your example of unconditional Grace, I hope to share such Grace with others!
Well, I understand how you felt, but NOW you have to "man up" so to speak. Be honest in your response and ask EVERYONE if they can forgive you for being less than accommodating. Don't over explain, just be truthful. Or you can do nothing and START LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB.
Workplace dynamics are weird. You spend more time with coworkers than with family, but half of them feel like strangers. It’s easy to say no when you don’t feel connected. But sometimes those connections show up when you least expect them. Here’s what this story reminded us.
Camila made a choice she’s not proud of. But when life hit her hard, people still showed up. Including the one person she turned away. That’s the thing about kindness. Sometimes it comes from the last place you expect. And sometimes it changes you more than it changes them.
What would you have done in her place? Would you have donated? And if you were her, would you have forgiven yourself?
Got a story that still keeps you up at night? We’d love to hear it. And if this one made you think, you’ll probably relate to this too: My Boss Stole My Idea for Our Biggest Client, So I Set a Clever Trap
