Sometimes, handing in your resignation is supposed to be the moment you finally put your own needs first. After years of putting work ahead of personal plans, taking a long-awaited holiday can feel like a reasonable way to reclaim some balance. But leaving a job does not always mean the workplace will make those final days easy.
The OP had worked for the same employer for five years and finally resigned after a holiday request was denied. He expected to finish his notice period, earn some extra money, and leave on decent terms. Instead, his boss told him he would work every remaining day without another day off, leaving him scheduled for 13 consecutive days.
After an exhausting week of heat and heavy workloads, the OP was already running on empty. Now he is wondering whether he should endure the final stretch or simply walk away. Scroll down to see what advice people gave him!
After giving two weeks’ notice, my boss schedules me for 13 days straight, so I’m tempted to walk out
There is a particular kind of resentment that appears when someone spends years putting work first, only to feel that the moment they finally choose themselves, their employer expects even more from them.
Leaving a job can already carry guilt and uncertainty, so being scheduled through the final stretch without a proper break can make an employee wonder whether loyalty was ever appreciated.
The OP’s frustration isn’t simply about working five additional days. They had already spent five years prioritizing the job and had resigned after a denied holiday request became the final push toward choosing their own life. They were initially prepared to work through the notice period, earn some extra money, and leave on reasonable terms.
The problem emerged when their boss apparently changed the understanding and scheduled them for thirteen consecutive days, including refusing a Sunday they wanted to spend with family. With other qualified staff available, the OP understandably began interpreting the schedule as retaliation rather than necessity.
There is another perspective worth considering. A manager may view a resignation period almost entirely through operational needs: someone is leaving, the rota needs filling, and every available shift becomes valuable. The employee, meanwhile, experiences the same schedule personally, especially after already feeling that work has consumed too much of their life.
Neither interpretation automatically proves malicious intent. The boss may not consciously think, “I will punish this person.” Yet the effect can still feel punitive when flexibility suddenly disappears after a resignation.
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant has discussed how workplaces can create unhealthy expectations when employees repeatedly sacrifice personal boundaries to demonstrate commitment.
In his work on burnout and workplace culture, he emphasizes that sustainable performance depends on employees having boundaries and recovering from prolonged demands rather than treating exhaustion as evidence of dedication. His discussion in TED explores how work can expand to consume more of people’s lives when boundaries are not protected.
The American Psychological Association likewise reports that chronic workplace stress and inadequate recovery can contribute to burnout and reduced well-being.
That doesn’t mean the OP should automatically walk out. Their employment contract, local labor laws, required rest periods, and consequences for abandoning the notice period all matter.
But the phrase “your days off are when you’re no longer employed” is not a universal rule. Depending on jurisdiction and the worker’s contract, employers may have legal obligations concerning maximum hours, rest periods, overtime, or scheduling.
The bigger psychological issue is that the OP seems to be confronting a habit they already recognize in themselves: consistently placing work ahead of family and personal needs. Resigning was an attempt to interrupt that pattern. Walking out impulsively could simply replace one regret with another, particularly if references or final pay are important.
A more measured response would be to put the objection in writing, clearly state that thirteen consecutive days is not sustainable, and ask for the schedule and applicable rest requirements to be confirmed.
If the arrangement violates employment law or the contract, the OP has stronger grounds to challenge it. If it doesn’t, they can still decide whether maintaining a clean exit is worth the remaining inconvenience.
Leaving a job does not erase every obligation attached to the notice period, but giving notice should not mean surrendering every personal boundary either. After five years of putting work first, perhaps the most useful lesson is that ending a job responsibly and choosing yourself are not mutually exclusive.
Let’s dive into the reactions from Reddit:
These commenters urged OP to take the weekend off and finally put personal needs ahead of the employer
These Redditors recommended checking employment laws and keeping written evidence of the scheduling dispute
These commenters advised weighing the value of a future reference against the stress and financial risks of staying
![[Reddit User] − After working with a company for 7 years and doing exactly what you are doing, always putting work first,](https://dailyhighlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/wp-editor-1787889321475-4.webp "Boss Expects Employee to Work 13 Days Straight After Resignation, So She Wonders How Much Is Too Much")
When work has consumed enough of someone’s life, is leaving professionally worth one final stretch of discomfort, or is there a point where protecting personal boundaries matters more? What would you have done in her position?
