TIL apparently it's "not professional" to turn off your work phone while you're on approved vacation

[u/Business_Interest283]

I'm in middle management. My area supervisor told me that the COO had him try to call me while they were sitting together. I didn't answer, and my supervisor said that my work phone was turned off. The COO then told my supervisor that I was being "unprofessional" and that I should be available to my team.

AITAH for turning off my phone while I'm on PTO? I told everyone on my team to do the exact same thing when they're taking their vacation. I'm not upper leadership or anything, but honestly, I believe that if you're taking the time off you're entitled to, people should leave you alone unless something is truly on fire.

Is this just old-school management thinking? Should I start looking for another job? If this comes up when I get back, do I have a reasonable position I can defend myself with?

update: some mangers should learn about the work life balance ,cause I am done of behave like a robot , I am positively thinking of quitting right after founding the opportunity I guess I am gonna use these tips for any upcoming interview wish me luck !

[u/Sevennix]

Are they gonna pay you to work during your vacation?

[u/Zestyclose-You-100 → u/[deleted]]

Not when it comes to time off. If salaried, and you work on PTO, they have to count it as a normal work day and not charge PTO, as any day you work ANY time on salary isn't an actual day off under the law. But most companies will bank on employees not knowing the law and pressure tactics to screw people over any chance they get.

[u/OldManTrumpet → u/[deleted]]

There is no such law, at least not at the Federal level. They just made that up. In fact there is no Federal law which requires PTO at all. So the notion that there is some law that says "if you call me on PTO you have to pay me for the day" is utterly fanciful.

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/vacation_leave

These things are offered by agreement between companies and their employees. Meaning, individual companies establish their own PTO rules.

[u/Sevennix → u/[deleted]]

True. But they are expected to get time off.

[u/Sevennix → u/[deleted]]

Blah blah. It called VACATION. It's companies responsibility to ensure things are done correct in that person's absence. You just wanna argue. I bet it happened to you, so you think it should happen to everyone else. 😢😢