Is a special event a good enough reason to be inconvenienced by a coworker?

It may not be right, but it’s true; the things that we care about most in life usually have to be planned around work, and not the other way around. It’s the job that pays for the fun hobbies, funds that dream vacation, and keeps clothes on the kid’s backs, and doing anything that is going to disrupt that somehow requires careful planning. 

Of course, there are times when life happens, and loyalty to the job is going to have to take a back seat to whatever is the priority at that moment. However, when it comes to the pre-prepared fun stuff, there is little excuse not to give prior warning with a shift swap or PTO request.

As a general rule, a coworker who makes an issue of somebody wanting some time off is not a good person to work with. Still, there are situations where they are reluctant to accept it for good reason. Part of being a decent team member is making an attempt to be organized, and if you can’t do that, you are likely to suffer the consequences sooner or later.