i put in a pto request for a family matter back in early september. i followed all the steps in the system, submitted it to my manager, and thought it would be straightforward. two weeks went by without a peep. i checked in with my manager, who said they hadn't seen it approved yet. i contacted hr, and they told me it was still in the queue, waiting for someone to look at it. meanwhile, my family needed me, and i felt stuck. finally, after three weeks, i got the approval email, but it was too late for my plans. it shouldn't take this long for something so important. just frustrating when you need the time off.