Title: Getting Time Off Approved For Family Needs: It Actually Worked!
I hear you on the screenshots. CYA is basically a survival skill these days. I’ve had requests “lost” in the shuffle before, then got side-eyed for not showing up. It’s weird how much depends on who’s in charge—policies barely matter if they’re not enforced consistently. Sometimes I wonder if it’s just luck of the draw, honestly.
Yeah, it’s wild how much it depends on who’s sitting in the manager’s chair that week. I’ve had a supervisor who was super by-the-book, and another who’d just wave stuff through as long as you gave a heads up. Makes me wonder—do you guys ever keep paper copies of your requests, or is it all digital now? I still get nervous and stash the occasional printout, just in case. Maybe I’m paranoid, but it’s saved me once or twice...
Honestly, I don’t bother with paper copies anymore. Maybe I’m just too trusting, but if it’s not in the system, it doesn’t count in my book. The company says everything has to be digital now, so if something goes sideways, that’s on them, not me. I get why you’d want a backup, though—had a buddy whose request “disappeared” once and he got chewed out for missing a shift. Still, I figure if they’re gonna drop the ball, I’m not saving their bacon by hoarding paperwork. Plus, I lose stuff all the time anyway... digital is at least searchable. Guess I’m just rolling the dice a bit more than most.
I get where you’re coming from, but I have to push back a bit on the “if it’s not in the system, it doesn’t count” mindset. Digital is great—don’t get me wrong, I love being able to search my inbox instead of digging through a pile of forms—but I’ve seen enough tech glitches and “system upgrades” to know that digital isn’t foolproof.
You mentioned,
In theory, sure. But in practice, when something does go sideways, it’s usually the employee who ends up scrambling to prove they did everything right. I’ve had clients come to me after HR lost their leave requests or payroll “forgot” to process something, and it’s always a headache. The company might eventually fix it, but it’s your paycheck or your time off on the line in the meantime.“if something goes sideways, that’s on them, not me.”
I’m not saying you need to print out every email or keep a file cabinet under your desk, but I do think there’s value in having a quick screenshot or PDF saved somewhere—just in case. It’s not about saving the company’s bacon, it’s about covering your own. I’ve seen too many people get burned because they trusted the system a little too much.
And yeah, losing paper is a pain, but losing digital records happens too—accidental deletes, corrupted files, whatever. At least with a backup, you’ve got options. Maybe I’m just a little more risk-averse, but I’d rather spend two seconds saving a copy than spend hours later trying to fix a mess that wasn’t my fault.
Just my two cents. I guess I’ve seen enough “disappearing requests” to be a little paranoid.
I get where you’re coming from, but I think there’s a middle ground here. In my experience, if you follow the process and keep things in the official system, it’s usually enough—especially if your company has clear policies. Sure, things can go wrong, but constantly saving every little thing can get overwhelming fast. I’ve had to chase down missing paperwork before, but most of the time, a quick email or checking the system audit trail clears things up. Sometimes we just have to trust that the process works… at least until it doesn’t.
