July 10-Tony's Day Off

I’m sure it wasn’t the only reason Tony left her position but I know it was the last straw.

Tony, a long-term employee who worked with another company in our building, requested one day off, July 10.   From what I understand of that businesses’ industry, it wasn’t a busy time of year. Whatever Tony’s reasons for the request, it didn’t matter; her boss wouldn’t allow her to take the day off. So she put in her two-weeks’ notice and left.

Sure there are rules, employee handbooks to follow and many good reasons to have policies in place. There are situations when we have to make hard choices for our time. For example, I worked much more following my second child than my first; and Rachel made the choice to fly from Minneapolis to Bismarck in order to attend a family wedding and fulfill an obligation for a client the same weekend.

Never do I want to run the kind of company that isn’t willing to consider an employee’s request for personal time. I still wonder if he regretted his decision to deny Tony a day off.  

Now, July 10 is an observed Reach Partners holiday.  We honor Tony, and ourselves, by closing the office to remember what’s truly important.

Anita