The only thing you check for is if someone else already asked for PTO in the same slot. That's it.

My department fell apart 2 weeks ago when I took my PTO. we were already short handed, someone quit at the start of the week, and there was literally nobody to even call in to cover, so they were fucked. But that's on corporate for refusing to hire enough people. That's on corporate for thinking we need no overlap in our shifts, no midday people . That's not my fault that I needed a specific week off, or even if I just WANTED it off. Businesses know what they need to do, it's not on me to make things easy for a billion dollar corporation that doesn't even give a shit about my store.

Word of advice kids: Don't take workplace advice from someone who uses Scrooge McDuck lighting a cigar with a bank note as their user icon.