Should I get my supervisor a card in this case?

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My gf really wants me to visit her parents and I forgot to book it off at work since things have been so busy but I still had over a month. But when I told her I forgot to book it off, she got really anxious and said we need to book the flight now cause we have been putting it off so I was thinking okay for sure, since I wanted her to be relieved. So we booked the flight, and I then attempted to book the days off which was a mistake obviously, because I booked the flight first.

I don't know what I was thinking, I guess I just wanted her to be relieved, and she kept insisting we have to do it now.

But now work of course will not let me have the time off, and the flight is booked and it's non-refundable. But now my work really does not want me to take the time off but they said they will give it to me, but I can tell my boss is frustrated.

My gf feels terrible about pressuring me into getting the tickets that night she said, she was just really anxious and nervous about me meeting her parents. But she also used to work in the same place, but has a new job now, said that even if I asked the boss first, she never gives me any vacation days and if I asked it just would have been no again. She said I am entitled to vacation days after working there for this long (two years now), and it's illegal that they will not even give me just four at the end of year.

So the thing is is that my supervisor was okay with me giving the time off, but my boss tried to override her on it, but I really had to make a case against the boss that the train is moving and nothing can stop it now, but I feel like my supervisor may have gotten chewed out by my boss because of this which was not my intention. So I wonder if I should give my supervisor a card, apologizing and that it was not my intention or will that make things worse likely? What do you think?

In my opinion you should cancel your flight and apologise to the boss and supervisor directly.
Never make travel plans without confirming the dates at work.
Your first responsibility is to your employer and your contract of employment.

I wouldn't have been allowed to travel during work time, and rightfully so.

Oh okay. But the flight is non-cancel-able though, so what then in that case? If the bell cannot be un-rung, what then?

You lose the money.

But my boss never gives me the vacation time that I am entitled to contractually though. Isn't there anything I should do about that, or no?

You've been there less than two years.
How much vacation time were you supposed to have, that you didn't get?
Did you use some of it by taking extra sick days?

If you have a true grievance, go to HR and ask them what to do.

Oh well I did go to HR but they didn't do anything about it. HR has been useless at solving any issues the employees have had there. I took some sick days because I had covid earlier in the year, but I had a couple of weeks of vacation left and they won't even give me four days after being therefore two years almost.

You might be able to get a voucher for future flights. Talk to the airline.

They said no refund but I can try again however, my girlfriend says I have vacation time when I might as well use up before the end of the year since I'm supposed to. Does she have a point there?

Quite often it's about the timing.
My brother had the same job for almost 40 years.
He only got 10 days holiday after all that time.
The employer got to choose when it was.

Sick days usually complicate the calculation.
Many employees had to use sick time for Covid, or the companies would have gone out of business.
Most companies didn't get government funding for the decline in productivity from Covid absences.

If HR and the airline won't help you, let your employer know you are willing to forfeit the flight if needed.
Perhaps they'll see it as a responsible move on your part, and try to compromise somehow.

In the future never book a flight without confirming your holiday time in writing at work.
Even then, I recommend getting cancellation insurance.

Not if you want to have ... a job there.

You "might as well" risk getting fired?

That doesn't sound very logical to me.

I see that point too. But I just can't bring myself to waste the air ticket money either.

I didn’t say you get a refund.

I said you might be able to get a voucher for future flights at the value of your ticket minus a service charge.

Oh maybe but also my other fears I will not get the time off before the end of the year which I'm supposed to have legally in the sense that I still have more vacation time. So that would be a risk too I suppose because who knows if they'll actually let me have it if I do that.

Would finding another job be out of the question?

No why?