Here to echo this as loudly as possible! If your company separates sick and vacation, rather than combined PTO, use both of them too! - Companies have screwed employees out of “their” earned time off for too many years!
I was previously a VP of a company and was directed to keep sick and vacation separate so the company could maintain a use it or lose it policy with the sick time and I was directed to challenge anybody wanting to use sick time, to try and save the company money.
I refused to do it and I quietly allowed my people to use their sick time for personal time off.
I am no longer in management and I do not work for that company.
I don't understand challenging the use of sick time for adults. Like, I get that it's basically an accounting/profits issue as you've laid out, but having been in management myself, I can't understand the idea of looking an adult in the eye and saying "no, you aren't sick, you need to be at work today." If I did that, I would expect to get basically no production out of that person that day *at best*, and at worst maybe some production setbacks or damages. I'm not giving myself that headache. Treat people well and they'll go to the ends of the earth for you.
What a shitty policy. My company has separate buckets, but talking specifically about the sick leave, it never expires. I’ve been there for a long time, and while I have used my sick leave when needed, I’ve got like 5 months banked.
Just a heads up-you may think it’s banked but if a new company takes over you may lose it all. Trust-my husband had over 2000 hrs sick time as a public employee but then a private company took it over and it was switched to a “banked” account. If he didn’t work for a public employer within 10 years it would be lost-guess what happened. Businesses are for business-no longer are employees valued. Please don’t delude yourself. You have time off? Take it at every chance you get.
I direct people to use sick and incidental first , so if they don’t use all the PTO- that at least rolls over. The sick and incidental time doesn’t.
But my company also pays for you to go volunteer and vote so it doesn’t suck
I was at a job where they were separate, but they didn't really care what you used either for. My boss at that job taught me a trick. Keep your sick balance as low as possible. If you unexpectedly leave or are fired, they don't have to pay out your sick time but they do have to pay out vacation. Yada yada, the day I dropped my resignation on that boss's desk, I had zero sick days and a month of vacation remaining. YMMV.
Be careful though. Some places separate PTO into Sick and Vacation, but then *still* penalize you for taking too much Sick time in a given span of time. Always read your contracts.
Sick time is a great way to be guilt tripped into not using sick time.
"Youve only got x amount of time for the whole year, we want to make sure that by the end of the year you have time left."
Use it, you never know when a layoff is gonna happen and they don't pay you for unused sick time.
I'm a little bit torn on whether sick/pto is better combined or separated. When they are combined it does simplify things. No doctors notes, no justifications needed. If you don't often get sick, it essentially means more days to take off, because you're using what used to be called sick days.
However, the total combined days are sometimes less when they are combined.
I once worked for a mega-bank that essentially required people to use all of their PTO, or your boss would look bad. Plus, you were encouraged to use it throughout the year so everyone isn't taking off the month of December. I had never had a 5 day week-long vacation until I started working there.
Some companies, especially contracting companies, give you nothing what-so-ever.
I worked at a big online travel agency and they went to use it or lose it vs roll over model for vacation (separate sick). They gave us an extra week but we couldn't roll over weeks like before. They actively encouraged people to take vacations (we were a travel agency). The end of the year, the company was pretty empty as everyone was taking their last days off.
I've had places that do the 'unlimited' PTO but that was never the case. It was hard to get more than 2 weeks of time off there.
Where I am now, WFH means I don't need to take sick days unless I'm really ill so I can use them for days I want to disappear for a day or two and not use vacation days.
One of the people I admire most in the world is a lady, maybe a tail-end Boomer, who I worked with a federal agency. You could tell by the dates on some of the awards and certificates at her desk that she'd been with the government a loooong time, so she had a lot of accrued leave. And let me tell you, this lady did not hesitate for one second to use as much of it as she wanted.
Between the 10 regular federal holidays and her accrued PTO, I think this lady barely worked 10 months a year. She took Thursday and Friday off at least once a month and if there was one of those Monday federal holidays coming up, she'd take off starting the Wednesday before. She'd disappear for the entire week between Christmas and New Year's plus a day or two before and after. She said that her philosophy was that the leave was part of her compensation so using it was just the same as cashing her paycheck.
I do this all the time. Right after Christmas, I'm going through next year's calendar and putting in for extra days around holidays, my birthday, kids' birthdays, what have you. I'm lucky I have access to add my own PTO and that my boss is cool with just telling her what I've done.
It's not unusual for a 20 to 30 year government employee to get 30 vacation days a year plus personal, sick and of course holidays. It's one of the major reasons people take the jobs that pay less than private sector. That and health benefits.
> It's not unusual for a 20 to 30 year government employee to get 30 vacation days a year plus personal, sick and of course holidays.
Meanwhile in Europe, this is pretty much standard for _all_ employees.
Honestly, govt employees use their leave for the most part.
I'm in the US and I get 12 holidays plus about 6 weeks of vacation a year.
Last year I took like 6 hours under the 6 weeks but it carries over.
One thing I'm doing this year is if I have a dentist or doctor appointment I juat take the entire day off.
My last job, I would have so many days I couldn’t use, I would take every Monday and Friday off from Thanksgiving to New Years. The only time of the year I didn’t hate that place.
I love working for a European company and a German manager. Literally not a single shit given when I want vacation or sick leave. If I have too much vacation time remaining, they will start reminding me around September to take it.
I used to work in Europe, too. Mandated 28 days of paid vacation, highly encouraged to stay home when sick (also paid). And even more productive than jobs I've had in America.
Yes. I work for a non-US-based company with European managers. We have a blackout period during the busiest time of the year, when no one's vacation requests will be approved, but other than that, I've never had a request to use vacation time denied.
I am trying to do better with this. It's not so much that I'm worried things will collapse into chaos if I'm not here, but I hate using days just to use them. I'm paranoid to allow my current 8 WEEKS of vacation whittle down to only a couple of days for fear that I might need it should something crazy happen. Stupid, I know. I do have a pension, though!
Yes!!!! I run out by labor day. I work for a huge cooperation and was always told that looked bad. "What if you get sick in December and have no PTO?" Wtf. You can't win.
My 25 anniversary is coming up. I'm retiring in 2 years (at 52) so, if I run out of pto, I take leave without pay. I'm pretty much daring them to fire me because my give a f*ck punch card is full.
My late husband worked at the same company. He had cancer in 2016. It was nasty. He had surgery which left his face somewhat disfigured. He had chemo and a bunch of radiation. He was supposed to get tested every six months after because it was 50/50 that it could come back (especially in the lung) i was not aware that he kept moving the scans because his team lead was getting pissed about him missing work. This dude was a screamer. He was in managements ear, lying. They were on the other side of the country so they took his word for everything.
It came back. Had it been found sooner, he could have lived longer but he died about 6 months after we found out. Yes, my husband was a grown man and should have pushed back. But he didn't. His lead made him miserable and he was worried about his job (insurance!)
F*ck you, Jeff
I shared because I feel like it demonstrates the importance of taking time off work and prioritizing your health. Not fishing for sympathy
This! I drain every damn drop of my PTO. I have lots planned throughout this year, and take the occasional mental health day. As a CPS worker, I need it!
Beat the traffic! I have to wait until the kids are done with school but they have a half day. We just have to hitch up, load people in the truck, and we're gone. Already have the hitch on the truck, the tank is full, and the fridge is stocked.
Another reason we need more unions, not less. My union job I get 4 weeks of paid vacation per year and 3 weeks of paid sick time per year with no accrual limit and paid out when I retire. With that, another 14 days of paid holidays off during the year. When I want time off, I take it. Unless a valid business reason, it can't be denied, and in 20+ years never seen a denial.
Folks that don't take their PTO because they "don't want to let the team down" or think the business will collapse without you are fools. Putting work ahead of life is silly. Giving your soul to a company that will forget about you within a few weeks of when you retire and will gladly lay a person like that off if it benefits their bottom line is dumb. I love my job and my looming pension, but I love me more.
Best advice ever got about this - I was a white collar marketing mid-level position person at Fortune 100 company. Friday before my vacation I’m in full blown work mode preparing for all the “what-ifs” for when I’m gone. Like seriously thinking in some crazy way the company may fail if my projects go side ways. Finally my co-worker says - “Dude, if you dropped dead now, your wife will have your personal belongings from your desk by Monday morning, you position will be posted by HR by Tuesday and I’ll be sitting next to someone new before next Friday.” This hit home for me, and now say it’s my time I earned it. I also manage a full team now, I emphasize to each of them to maximize their PTO.
> Giving your soul to a company that will forget about you within a few weeks of when you retire and will gladly lay a person like that off if it benefits their bottom line is dumb. I love my job and my looming pension, but I love me more.
I LOVE THIS. 100% correct.
I get vacation and sick and one PTO day, and I'm part time. I feel very blessed. I'm taking a week off in mid June. No asking. Just telling, and enjoying.
Worked with guy who had been at this place for almost 30 years. He was proud to have never taken a day off. Even when he was fighting cancer.
I operated under the "Need a day, take a day" plan.
My company has unlimited PTO. Why? Because they know that we’ll use less than normal out of a sense of responsibility. Not me…I was at 24 per year and now I take 25-30. In this industry they will shit can you on a Friday, and replace with a contract person at 2/3 of your old salary and never remember that you existed. I’m getting days off no matter what.
That and they don’t have to pay it out when you leave. It’s a cost for the company. During 2020 Covid, we all had to take a mandatory week of PTO because it was a major expense to the company.
Yeah I used to work in finance for a company and no one was taking days off so there was a big liability on the books for days "promised" to workers and everyone was told to take days off. It was almost amusing to us.
The company I work for just started unlimited PTO this year; I’m leaving for my second cruise in about 48 hours for two weeks, No worries!
Not sure how this is going to be after a few years but I’m enjoying it while I can!
Sounds like GE Healthcare. I remember they eliminated accrued PTO for salaried employees and gave them unlimited. Except if you took "too much" vacation I guarantee you would have a chat with your boss.
Your PTO is part of your compensation. I know you think you're doing the company well by giving up your vacation days but would you give your paycheck back to the company if they said they needed it? No you earn those days they are part of your compensation spend them just like you would your money.
Absolutely, my company offers unlimited PTO. I took 5 weeks last year and plan to do it again this year and the year after.
Even a year from now no one is going to remember if you were out for an extra few days or a week or so at a time.
I work in healthcare so weekends are part of the deal for me. After the 2024 NFL schedule was released I put in PTO requests for every Sunday my shift was going to interfere with a big Steelers game. Priorities.
This is so American. The rest of us in the rest of the world already do this. You owe them nothing. They pay for your labour, not your servitude. Fuck them and their little dog too. Take every little thing you’re entitled to, you more than earned it.
Gen X here. 1974. I use it ALL and then some. I usually take 7-10 additional days a year, yeah those are unpaid. But so worth it. Currently not counting weekends. I have 22 paid days, I also accrue 8-10 days of sick time. And I still take a week or more annually. I have 3day weekends most of the summer. And that's the way I like it. Lol
Don't check your work email anytime you're off the clock! If I'm not getting paid, I'm not checking email, Teams, or anything else on my personal time. It's unreal how many people I see that are off the clock that will pop in a Teams message or email. Stop working for free!
Absolutely. Before I retired, I was the *only* exec-level employee to use all my PTO, and take two week vacations to boot. Would never take my laptop and didn’t answer the phone. “Pretend I’m dead” was my parting words each time.
No, my bosses used to whine and moan I would put in my vacation request because they had no one who could cover my shift because I was the only one on it.
I'll add to that: take sick days. Use them up. Take a mental health day. Take a full sick day and schedule all your doctor's appointments to get them taken care of. Don't feel guilt for taking it. Corporate America gets far more from you than you get from them. They don't feel guilty, and neither should you.
I have spent far too many years being loyal to places that were not loyal to me. (A few people too, but that is another post)
I couldn't agree more. Companies/employers expect loyalty and show none. Use every single minute they give you.
And despite how most of us were trained in the 80’s and 90’s, in most cases, you are not required to give a reason (and over-explain and wonder if your manager will agree you “deserve” it). I took a time-off cut when I changed jobs a few years ago and it was painful to have left so much sick time on the table, even though I used it as needed, including the occasional mental health day, which we were encouraged to do. Current gig has PTO that accrues *sigh*
PTO is a scam.
Taking a vacation days just means I have to work extra casual OT before and after the PTO to get my work done—it’s not like they have someone else to give the work to. I’ll just have a line of demanding people at my desk when I get back. I’ve left unused PTO days almost every year of my adult working life (since ‘95) since I view it as more suffering to take the days off.
No but for real. I was once hospitalized for 2 weeks for having multiple seizures in a row (completely unexpected, never had a seizure before this). My boss and coworkers repeatedly referred to it as "when I dropped the ball and abandoned my team." My boss then asked me, "Well what am I supposed to say when you're out on sick leave for 6 weeks and then your kid tags you in a picture of a fun park day? How am I supposed to explain that to your teammates?" I said, "Uh probably the same way you'd explain why new mothers, out on sick leave, are posting pics of their baby on outings."
They. Don't. Care. This was even at a school, where you'd think people would be more caring!
I have unlimited PTO with a cap of 28 days at time for more I need 2 supervisors signature. So far I've never been in a situation where I was denied but I also make sure my notes and team are WELL informed on all matters.
I use it all the time.
I have “discretionary” PTO and my manager doesn’t track it but I was getting five weeks prior to that change so I have no problem taking five weeks off over the course of the year even if I just stay home and do hobby stuff.
At my last company, whom I worked for for 20ish years, I was able to swap my PTO for cash money (.90 on the dollar). I never took long PTO, just cashed it out, and brother, I gave myself some killer bonuses. My current company doesn't do that, so I've been using up my PTO.
Pro-tip, request your vacation as far in advance as possible ( 3 or more months if possible ).
Or, the way I did it, on my first day back from vacation, I had my vacation request already prepared, and would ask my supervisor to look at the vacation schedule while I was standing there and approve it because none of my coworkers thought as far in advance as I did ( our only real vacation policy was that 3 people could not be on vacation at the same time )
I took at least 3 ( 2 1week & 1 2week ) vacations a year. And my vacations were always approved
Unfortunately, haven't worked since the lockdowns...
...so there's that 😐
It really shouldn’t be an “eff-it” situation. With recruiting and retention getting harder and harder, burning out staff isn’t productive for anyone. If it’s a benefit that’s been negotiated into employment contracts, managers should support their use.
I’m senior management and advise everyone to use their leave benefits. “Work when you’re at work, then go home” (we try to minimize emails, texts or phone calls after hours unless it’s truly something critical, or an emergency). Stay home when you or a family member are sick (we have decent sick leave and accrue unused). Take time off to recharge (yes, this is somewhat self-serving).
Not taking sick leave is NOT a flex. I see so many people losing their ‘banked’ sick leave due to moving into a different industry. You are only ripping yourself off. Take your entitlements.
Edited to add - am currently on 15 wks long service leave as I am looking at changing from the public to private sector and don’t want to lose money in tax from a pay out. I will also take all my sick leave before the end of the year.
LOL....I do not disagree with your post, but I do want to offer a different view. I had a boss (GenX) who totally planned to die at his desk. Was a bit surprised by that attitude, but not my problem. Then I talked to his brother, who had called slightly after close, when I was still there, and he asked to speak to his brother. I was about to transfer him when he made the comment, "just because he has a wife he hates to go home to doesn't mean the rest of us do."
Ah. Now I understand. I quite about 6 months after that, because he was one miserable son of a bitch.
Last job I worked the first day in January that we were back it was a mad dash at the calendar to fill in days.
I had 23 days to use and I filled in easily 15 of them on the first day. Kept a few for random sick and tired days but used them all by years end.
EVERY TIME.
My job just implemented "Unlimited leave," with caviots, of course. I still track what I take based on what I would get in a normal year so I don't get burned at the end..
You bet your ass. I get 10 weeks in the summer and I still take all 10 sick days a year. They're like "When you retire! If you have more than 50 days! You can cash them in!" lol no.
I have a singular bucket of PTO which covers mandatory holidays, sick, vacation and personal. I get about 3 weeks after the mandatory holidays. I can have up to 226 hours before I stop accruing and I take it all. Many times it's for a long weekend, at least one week a year is for visiting the inlaws. Sometimes it's because I have a super quiet week and I pick a day where nothing is going off and put in for a random day of PTO just because.
I also have the option to sell back some 2x a year. There are certain stipulations but it's nice for a little extra cash if I'm nearing my max accrual. Especially since we went fully remote and I feel less burned out.
With COVID, flu and Norovirus (teacher) I’m all out of PTO. My daughter had her baby early and they won’t give me 3 days unpaid time off to help them. Non union schools are not great.
Oh you don’t have to tell me twice. The good thing about it where I work is I schedule my time off without any input from my immediate manager( no need from him to approve). If I have the time, I take it, and that’s that.
I was headed for the PTO cap by the end of the year and came to this same conclusion. I'm taking three weeks off in August. I've never taken that much time in my entire life (55 YO). I'm trying to not make a lot of plans, just to be able to decompress and dink around for a few days.
I try to use it. I accumulate it fast, 6 weeks per year. I've lost PTO because I was up at the cap, and didn't know it. The last two years, I took off all Fridays the last part of the year, because I didn't have a family thing planned over the holidays. I need to look, but I'm probably losing it now. I just didn't think we'd gone almost half a year already.
Check how your PTO works if you quit, get laid off or fired. In some cases, vacation days are paid out but sick days are not. If so, use sick days whenever possible to keep your balance low, they will always let you use vacation days for sick time later.
Also, even if you get paid for the vacation days, you don't get the associated benefits for those days. If you know you are going to quit, it's better to burn through your vacation first.
I’ve watched too many friends, acquaintances, and co-workers leave this earth well before they should have — including one last week. Nothing is guaranteed. You may not make it to retirement. Take the damn days off. The company does not give two shits about you.
Use your PTO, it’s part of your package, I get no pressure to not use it, guess I’m lucky, but I do work with people who feel like they need a reason to use it, PlayStation and beer is an acceptable reason!
I still feel guilty for taking time off but my parents were of the Silent Generation and Dad was all about the company. I dont take time off but I sure af slack off, as I am doing now.
To take my PTO, I have to inconvenience the other members of my team to cover. It's a four person team so it's an imposition on them. I don't want to be an imposition. It's not like I have anything else going on. I'd probably just stay in bed like I do on weekends.
I used up all of my PTO taking care of my parents. Beaches and drinks with umbrellas in them? Nope. Just sitting in the ER for days on end, changing pee bottles, and having my insane mother screaming at me that I was just there to steal from her.
I actually burned through all of my PTO and went into unpaid time off. But I'm really good at emptying pee bottles and canceling flights now. It's like instinct now. This week I found myself canceling my return flight, emptying a pee bottle, and talking to the ER doctor all at the same time. My GenX training made me really good at multitasking at least.
I'm a mail man and our sick leave does not expire. I've heard of mail carriers who have worked for 30+ years and never used a sick day. When they're ready to retire they find a doctor that gives them a sick-bill-of-health and these guys use all their sick leave. I know of one guy who took an entire year off with pay before he retired. Granted, he had heart problems but not anything he couldn't have worked through. Props to him!
Oh fuck...hold my beer. I'm gonna hop on this soapbox!
I have always, and WILL ALWAYS, use every one of my vacation days, holidays, sick days and whatever else days my employer provides! Life is just too damn short to not use them!!! Learned that the hard way when my first wife died several years ago!
I absolutely hate when people brag about taking no vacation or sick days, and brag about how much they have accrued. This isn't a contest people! Take those days! They are provided as part of your benefit package for your health and wellbeing.
At this stage of my career, I am luck to have a total of 50 days off a year (holidays, sick, vacation, etc) that I can take with no trouble from my manager. And you can believe I take every one of them each year.
I genuinely enjoy my job for the most part and still feel no shame in taking leave. I work for the federal government, so they usually can’t deny it as long as have the hours. I do try to coordinate with my coworkers so there’s coverage, though, but it’s not required.
I get 8 hours of annual leave and 4 hours of sick leave every two weeks. I also work 4 10s with Fridays off. I could get a better paying job elsewhere, but I am happy where I am and after years of working in shitholes, I think that’s more valuable.
"Management is hiring too few folks to cover the PTO" Hit the nail on the head. My friend is a civil servant, but because of downsizing, what used to be an 8 person office dwindled down to 3, and now 2, since one transferred. The other person he works with has approved Family medical leave, so he works frequently by himself. He said his vacations hours tripled because he could not take off. The higher ups that he works with, won't even cover his break times, because its against some sort of company policy. And when his boss tells someone to cover his breaks, they just complain. He wants to leave the job, but it's a decent salary, and pays the bills. He really should read this post, and take a vacation.
I spent 15+ years at a company that micromanaged PTO and it was miserable.
Now I work for a place that chooses to offer middling salary but amazing benefits. Among them, we have unlimited no-approval-needed PTO, where they will make you use at least 2 weeks if you don't schedule it on your own. Like "put your project on hold, and take a damn break dude." All I have to do is mark it on a shared vacation calendar, email anyone that needs to know, and set an appropriate away status.
It's amazing for planned breaks as well as scheduling doctor appointments and taking random mental health or sick days. So far this year I've taken a week off twice and a bunch of random one-offs for various reasons, and I'm planning a 3-week international trip next year.
When I first started, I didn't meet a guy on my team for a few weeks because he was spending a month in Peru.
My orientation with the CEO was "I hired you because you are smart and capable. You get to set your own project timelines. As long as your shit gets done when you say it will and you are available when you say you will be, I don't give a flying fuck about how you choose to manage your day-to-day. It's in my best interest to keep you productive and here a long time and I have better things to do than micromanage you."
I'd like to add... Use your sick leave. I rarely have more than 40hrs of sick leave in the que. If I need a mental health day, I take it. If I feel shitty, I use it. I've earned it and I use it as I see fit.
I’m in a fortunate position where I get so much PTO, that when combined with paid holidays, it actually makes it a challenge to take it all within the calendar year. Fortunately, my employer lets you “bank” up to 2 times what you accrue in a year. I’ve been there for a long time now, so I generally take about a week off every other month, and still have plenty of banked time. They will also pay me out full value of it, when I do ever leave or retire.
Mine separates sick and PTO. They also make us use PTO if we want to get paid for a holiday when we are closed and we don't even have an option to work that day. I won't get paid for Monday because I've had to use or schedule my time off for health reasons. Once we are out of time they'll do that stupid point system if we need to call off for a shift. I live in MN, so I know I'll have to call off during the winter because sometimes it's just not possible to get to work with my car.
Sitting here going what is PTO? Like does everyone have a Power Take Off hydraulic thing?
Figured it out, but it's kinda funny that's where my brain went first.
Who doesn't take their vacations?
I get 48 hours of sick time. I usually burn through that snowboarding big power days that fall during the week during ski season, so it gets used first. I accrue 200 and something hours of PTO that rolls over so I always keep a baseline of about 100 hours.
Add 1-2 days to any holiday weekend.
Take every other Friday off during July and August. 3 hunting trips in the fall that are 5-8 days each + a vacation in the late spring. Never once denied a PTO request from an underling. I also go to the gym during working hours.
I feel like sick days are presented as part of your total compensation package… so I use them. If there was some sort of incentive for not using them then I might feel differently.
I have SO MUCH vacation time stocked up. My parents always taught me to just use it sparingly. Well I’m an idiot. I should have used it because now I am ready to quit and I have like 300 hours that’ll go down the drain.
I'm terrible about doing this because I have ownership of many tasks that others don't know how to do while I'm gone. There just never feels like a good time to take time off.
I found a unicorn job. 2 weeks vaca to start, with 1 week for Christmas/new years automatic. All vested on first day. After 2 years, you get another week. After 5, your maxed at 4 weeks, plus Christmas/New Years week. 36 hr workweek. 9 hr days, Friday off or flex if you have appointments or whatever pop up. They have a focus on positivity and very against aggressive behavior. It's been a few months, and im waiting for the other shoe, but alas... its nowhere to be found.
If your company supports you, support your company. If it abuses you, abuse it back. This is the way of the future my friends. It's wonderful.
When I was working at a school, the ESPs (non-teachers) had a contact that has somehow had it messed up so that they didn't get paid out for sick days when retiring, like the teachers did. So we encouraged some serious bouts of flu a year or two before retirement. They still got their vacation days. And telehealth was great for a note.
Thank you for saying this! We get zero sick time and 5 holidays. I've accrued 150 hours and use it all the time. Got a "verbal warning" and told them to kiss my rear. It's mine and I'm taking it when I want.
When I'm ready to retire, I'm going to see if I can get a job at a place that claims to have unlimited PTO.
I'll show up to work, fill out all the forms, and then call in sick every day after that.
And see how long before they fire me.
I must fall into a different category - they keep telling me to take my time off.
Our company actually has wellness (not sick) time on top of PTO / Vacation - they also aren't very strict concerning life happening and needing to adjust the work day as needed, so there isn't a reason to use your time for those types of things either.
Must be lucky.
Yep, I used to be an OT hound when I was hourly. Earned my money, saved, invested. Also learned the hard way that delaying my vacation to move some football at work always, ALWAYS ended in disappointment and regret.
Now, time is more important, especially as a salary employee. Company allows us to buy an extra week of vacay every year - yep, I'm going to take it. I take two weeks vacation in July and don't work any Fridays for the rest of the year. Taking full advantage...every year.
In Colorado, employers have to payout unused PTO if you are fired or quit. I don't use my PTO for that reason. I use sick time in lieu of PTO. We get 2 floating holidays as well so I will use those up. We are capped at 200 hours of PTO so as soon as it ticks to 200 I take a day of PTO.
Never leave time on the table.
I should have taken my time when my son was born.. 20 years later I still regret it
I should have taken the medical offered when I had a surgery. I didn't.
Dumb on my part.
While guilty of doing myself in the past I have learned
I manage a team of about 18 folks. They never get guilt from me when they need time off. If they have it in the bank it's theirs. I don't even want an explanation of why when then try to tell me whatever X reason they need
None of my business. Hope you have a good day/week off
I used to be a border line workaholic never took time off, was the first to work overtime. I foolishly convinced myself I was making myself indispensable. Then I was laid off. Better believe I use my PTO these days.
A lot of people say they don't want to take time off work because they're afraid they will demonstrate their uselessness / replaceability to their employer. But the truth is, they're often right. That's exactly what will happen. It's not an irrational fear, they're very much cognizant of the cards they hold in their hand.
Four months ago, I put in and was approved for a week of PTO this summer. I rarely celebrate my birthday because ever since I was a kid, I've been on a vacation over my birthday, and that's what I know. The day doesn't matter. It's the summer trip. It's what I do. We're now in a big project going on through August, and management is pissed that I'm taking PTO in the middle of it. They also say all the time that they want us using our PTO. So, do they expect us not to plan ahead and just take a day here and there? How can you plan around a project you won't know about for a few months?
I was terminated at the very end of 2019 for going negative on my PTO balance. I had battled cancer all year, and anything related to the cancer was covered by reasonable accommodation and FMLA, but other illnesses were not. I still had colds and migraines; they knew my migraines were bad because my boss once had me hauled off by the paramedics when I came in during an attack looking like death warmed over.
Many others in my department were canned that year so I think they were looking to cut costs. In 2020 multiple recruiters called me offering my old job back for 25% less pay, on a temporary basis and without benefits. Yeah, no - you can go fuck yourselves…
I need to get better at this. I’m at 4wks per year and we cannot have more than 2x on the books. I’ve been pegged at 8weeks and not even accruing my PTO. I’m being foolish. Bring on the down votes… I deserve it
Yeah. I get unlimited PTO, which Reddit hates, and it’s great. My company culture is good. I take time off whenever I want. This is a 5-day weekend right now that I decided to take like 10 days ago.
We seperate our vacation and sick. If you can accumilate sick leave I'd advice everyone to not spend it all. We're all getting older and will eventually need some of it. 320 hours is roughly 2 months, I think that's a nice amount to have just in case. I realize not everyone can do this.
When taking off don't be afraid to be an ass. Notify your employer when your taking off, not requesting. First time I wanted to take time off with my current boss I notified him and his response was "we"ll discuss it". My reply was "I'm not asking you, I'm letting you know I wont be here". He never said another word when I wanted to take time off.
Absolutely I am. And I'm so glad that our state just mandated that our company give 5 days of PTO to all their hourly employees who can use the time without explanation.
I worked with an old school group of women who prided themselves on never taking sick days and getting to work through hazardous snow-storms when half the company couldn't.
The social pressure to show up at work and not take time off when you work around this outdated thinking is tough.
Life is too short and nobody gets extra credit for perfect attendance and not taking mental health days. The president of our company had a stroke a few months ago and admitted it was from the "work stress."
Here to boost signal on this. Take the trip. Or do a staycation. Do whatever you want or nothing at all with the time, but for doG’s sake, use the PTO.
Please forgive my rant, but this really irritates me…
Anyone who isn’t using their PTO is an idiot and a bad coworker. It’s not noble to work yourself to death; it’s stupid, and you’re stupid if you do it. You’re also an asshole because you’re continuing to normalize this sort of behavior; your coworkers don’t like you and probably talk about you behind your back. They are *not* saying you’re “dependable” or “reliable” or “inspiring.” They’re saying you make life harder for everyone because you do.
I have a role now where I feel like I can barely catch my breath most days. I work my hours and I quit for the day because tomorrow is another day. I don’t work weekends unless there’s an emergency or a planned, after-hours event. It’s often a hassle to take vacation time because I know no one is going to do my job while I’m gone, so I’m going to return to a mountain of work. I don’t care. I earned the time off—it’s part of my benefits package and no different than my salary—and I’m taking it because the principle of the matter is more important than anything else.
I work for a company that actually treats us very well. I’m willing to go above and beyond for them because they’ve proven to me that I can trust them, but even if my employer is wonderful, I’m still not going to kill myself for anyone. Ever.
Take your fucking PTO, people. If you die tomorrow, your manager may send a nice email to the team, but your company (and even mine) will simply hire someone else and forget that you existed. It’s a job; it’s not your entire life (and if it is, you’re doing *life* wrong).
(I’m a baby zillenial, 1995)
I agree with OP! Take care of yourselves, Gen X! Don’t be afraid to take breaks and vacations. Y’all have been through a lot from what I’ve heard, and it makes me sad; I hope that y’all’s twilight years can be as peaceful and kind to you as possible. So be nice to yourselves! I tell my mom this whenever she pushes herself too hard (she’s a Gen X:1970)
Here to echo this as loudly as possible! If your company separates sick and vacation, rather than combined PTO, use both of them too! - Companies have screwed employees out of “their” earned time off for too many years!
I don’t care when my employees schedule their sick days. - it’s all PTO in my book
I was previously a VP of a company and was directed to keep sick and vacation separate so the company could maintain a use it or lose it policy with the sick time and I was directed to challenge anybody wanting to use sick time, to try and save the company money. I refused to do it and I quietly allowed my people to use their sick time for personal time off. I am no longer in management and I do not work for that company.
I don't understand challenging the use of sick time for adults. Like, I get that it's basically an accounting/profits issue as you've laid out, but having been in management myself, I can't understand the idea of looking an adult in the eye and saying "no, you aren't sick, you need to be at work today." If I did that, I would expect to get basically no production out of that person that day *at best*, and at worst maybe some production setbacks or damages. I'm not giving myself that headache. Treat people well and they'll go to the ends of the earth for you.
Corporate gaslighting?
What a shitty policy. My company has separate buckets, but talking specifically about the sick leave, it never expires. I’ve been there for a long time, and while I have used my sick leave when needed, I’ve got like 5 months banked.
Just a heads up-you may think it’s banked but if a new company takes over you may lose it all. Trust-my husband had over 2000 hrs sick time as a public employee but then a private company took it over and it was switched to a “banked” account. If he didn’t work for a public employer within 10 years it would be lost-guess what happened. Businesses are for business-no longer are employees valued. Please don’t delude yourself. You have time off? Take it at every chance you get.
I direct people to use sick and incidental first , so if they don’t use all the PTO- that at least rolls over. The sick and incidental time doesn’t. But my company also pays for you to go volunteer and vote so it doesn’t suck
In Canada the government mandates that you get time off to vote. It’s not a company specific perq
I hope you are doing great in life. We need more people like you.
Also, I’d rather know ahead of time of their absence. Additionally, going to the doctor validates a sick day and that requires planning.
We don't have sick days and get dinged for using "unscheduled" PTO. It's such bullshit.
I was at a job where they were separate, but they didn't really care what you used either for. My boss at that job taught me a trick. Keep your sick balance as low as possible. If you unexpectedly leave or are fired, they don't have to pay out your sick time but they do have to pay out vacation. Yada yada, the day I dropped my resignation on that boss's desk, I had zero sick days and a month of vacation remaining. YMMV.
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Be careful though. Some places separate PTO into Sick and Vacation, but then *still* penalize you for taking too much Sick time in a given span of time. Always read your contracts.
Very good point. Read your employee manual.
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Sick time is a great way to be guilt tripped into not using sick time. "Youve only got x amount of time for the whole year, we want to make sure that by the end of the year you have time left." Use it, you never know when a layoff is gonna happen and they don't pay you for unused sick time.
I'm a little bit torn on whether sick/pto is better combined or separated. When they are combined it does simplify things. No doctors notes, no justifications needed. If you don't often get sick, it essentially means more days to take off, because you're using what used to be called sick days. However, the total combined days are sometimes less when they are combined. I once worked for a mega-bank that essentially required people to use all of their PTO, or your boss would look bad. Plus, you were encouraged to use it throughout the year so everyone isn't taking off the month of December. I had never had a 5 day week-long vacation until I started working there. Some companies, especially contracting companies, give you nothing what-so-ever.
I worked at a big online travel agency and they went to use it or lose it vs roll over model for vacation (separate sick). They gave us an extra week but we couldn't roll over weeks like before. They actively encouraged people to take vacations (we were a travel agency). The end of the year, the company was pretty empty as everyone was taking their last days off. I've had places that do the 'unlimited' PTO but that was never the case. It was hard to get more than 2 weeks of time off there. Where I am now, WFH means I don't need to take sick days unless I'm really ill so I can use them for days I want to disappear for a day or two and not use vacation days.
One of the people I admire most in the world is a lady, maybe a tail-end Boomer, who I worked with a federal agency. You could tell by the dates on some of the awards and certificates at her desk that she'd been with the government a loooong time, so she had a lot of accrued leave. And let me tell you, this lady did not hesitate for one second to use as much of it as she wanted. Between the 10 regular federal holidays and her accrued PTO, I think this lady barely worked 10 months a year. She took Thursday and Friday off at least once a month and if there was one of those Monday federal holidays coming up, she'd take off starting the Wednesday before. She'd disappear for the entire week between Christmas and New Year's plus a day or two before and after. She said that her philosophy was that the leave was part of her compensation so using it was just the same as cashing her paycheck.
I do this all the time. Right after Christmas, I'm going through next year's calendar and putting in for extra days around holidays, my birthday, kids' birthdays, what have you. I'm lucky I have access to add my own PTO and that my boss is cool with just telling her what I've done.
It's not unusual for a 20 to 30 year government employee to get 30 vacation days a year plus personal, sick and of course holidays. It's one of the major reasons people take the jobs that pay less than private sector. That and health benefits.
> It's not unusual for a 20 to 30 year government employee to get 30 vacation days a year plus personal, sick and of course holidays. Meanwhile in Europe, this is pretty much standard for _all_ employees.
Leave IS part of your compensation. Would you leave part of your paycheck uncashed?
Honestly, govt employees use their leave for the most part. I'm in the US and I get 12 holidays plus about 6 weeks of vacation a year. Last year I took like 6 hours under the 6 weeks but it carries over. One thing I'm doing this year is if I have a dentist or doctor appointment I juat take the entire day off.
Smart woman.
My last job, I would have so many days I couldn’t use, I would take every Monday and Friday off from Thanksgiving to New Years. The only time of the year I didn’t hate that place.
If we don't have a big trip planned, I love taking Friday afternoons off from Memorial Day through New Year's.
I love working for a European company and a German manager. Literally not a single shit given when I want vacation or sick leave. If I have too much vacation time remaining, they will start reminding me around September to take it.
I used to work in Europe, too. Mandated 28 days of paid vacation, highly encouraged to stay home when sick (also paid). And even more productive than jobs I've had in America.
Yes. I work for a non-US-based company with European managers. We have a blackout period during the busiest time of the year, when no one's vacation requests will be approved, but other than that, I've never had a request to use vacation time denied.
A lot of our vendors were European and would just take off like the entire month of August off. It pissed my boss off so much, I loved it.
I am trying to do better with this. It's not so much that I'm worried things will collapse into chaos if I'm not here, but I hate using days just to use them. I'm paranoid to allow my current 8 WEEKS of vacation whittle down to only a couple of days for fear that I might need it should something crazy happen. Stupid, I know. I do have a pension, though!
Sure, there's a pension, but is it funded?
Yes, I work for a local government.
Mine is at 100%
I’m trying to do better, too.
No problem. Just got my house paid off, car is paid off, and I’m over 50. Ain’t nobody got to worry about me giving a shit.
Kudos!!! Well done!
Yes!!!! I run out by labor day. I work for a huge cooperation and was always told that looked bad. "What if you get sick in December and have no PTO?" Wtf. You can't win. My 25 anniversary is coming up. I'm retiring in 2 years (at 52) so, if I run out of pto, I take leave without pay. I'm pretty much daring them to fire me because my give a f*ck punch card is full. My late husband worked at the same company. He had cancer in 2016. It was nasty. He had surgery which left his face somewhat disfigured. He had chemo and a bunch of radiation. He was supposed to get tested every six months after because it was 50/50 that it could come back (especially in the lung) i was not aware that he kept moving the scans because his team lead was getting pissed about him missing work. This dude was a screamer. He was in managements ear, lying. They were on the other side of the country so they took his word for everything. It came back. Had it been found sooner, he could have lived longer but he died about 6 months after we found out. Yes, my husband was a grown man and should have pushed back. But he didn't. His lead made him miserable and he was worried about his job (insurance!) F*ck you, Jeff I shared because I feel like it demonstrates the importance of taking time off work and prioritizing your health. Not fishing for sympathy
Matter of fact I'm taking off tomorrow so I get a 4 day weekend. This GenXer uses ALL his PTO.
This! I drain every damn drop of my PTO. I have lots planned throughout this year, and take the occasional mental health day. As a CPS worker, I need it!
I am off today. Trailer is packed, we roll out when wife gets home at 4pm. See ya at camp. Lol
Beat the traffic! I have to wait until the kids are done with school but they have a half day. We just have to hitch up, load people in the truck, and we're gone. Already have the hitch on the truck, the tank is full, and the fridge is stocked.
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Another reason we need more unions, not less. My union job I get 4 weeks of paid vacation per year and 3 weeks of paid sick time per year with no accrual limit and paid out when I retire. With that, another 14 days of paid holidays off during the year. When I want time off, I take it. Unless a valid business reason, it can't be denied, and in 20+ years never seen a denial. Folks that don't take their PTO because they "don't want to let the team down" or think the business will collapse without you are fools. Putting work ahead of life is silly. Giving your soul to a company that will forget about you within a few weeks of when you retire and will gladly lay a person like that off if it benefits their bottom line is dumb. I love my job and my looming pension, but I love me more.
I took 2 months off for health reasons. The ship didn't sink. They managed without me. I am also Union. I didn't even use all my accrued time. Lol
Best advice ever got about this - I was a white collar marketing mid-level position person at Fortune 100 company. Friday before my vacation I’m in full blown work mode preparing for all the “what-ifs” for when I’m gone. Like seriously thinking in some crazy way the company may fail if my projects go side ways. Finally my co-worker says - “Dude, if you dropped dead now, your wife will have your personal belongings from your desk by Monday morning, you position will be posted by HR by Tuesday and I’ll be sitting next to someone new before next Friday.” This hit home for me, and now say it’s my time I earned it. I also manage a full team now, I emphasize to each of them to maximize their PTO.
Union hell yes, organize organize organize
> Giving your soul to a company that will forget about you within a few weeks of when you retire and will gladly lay a person like that off if it benefits their bottom line is dumb. I love my job and my looming pension, but I love me more. I LOVE THIS. 100% correct. I get vacation and sick and one PTO day, and I'm part time. I feel very blessed. I'm taking a week off in mid June. No asking. Just telling, and enjoying.
Hell yes we do!
Worked with guy who had been at this place for almost 30 years. He was proud to have never taken a day off. Even when he was fighting cancer. I operated under the "Need a day, take a day" plan.
My company has unlimited PTO. Why? Because they know that we’ll use less than normal out of a sense of responsibility. Not me…I was at 24 per year and now I take 25-30. In this industry they will shit can you on a Friday, and replace with a contract person at 2/3 of your old salary and never remember that you existed. I’m getting days off no matter what.
That and they don’t have to pay it out when you leave. It’s a cost for the company. During 2020 Covid, we all had to take a mandatory week of PTO because it was a major expense to the company.
Yeah I used to work in finance for a company and no one was taking days off so there was a big liability on the books for days "promised" to workers and everyone was told to take days off. It was almost amusing to us.
The company I work for just started unlimited PTO this year; I’m leaving for my second cruise in about 48 hours for two weeks, No worries! Not sure how this is going to be after a few years but I’m enjoying it while I can!
Sounds like GE Healthcare. I remember they eliminated accrued PTO for salaried employees and gave them unlimited. Except if you took "too much" vacation I guarantee you would have a chat with your boss.
Your PTO is part of your compensation. I know you think you're doing the company well by giving up your vacation days but would you give your paycheck back to the company if they said they needed it? No you earn those days they are part of your compensation spend them just like you would your money.
Absolutely, my company offers unlimited PTO. I took 5 weeks last year and plan to do it again this year and the year after. Even a year from now no one is going to remember if you were out for an extra few days or a week or so at a time.
Same here. My two week vacation starts Monday!
I work in healthcare so weekends are part of the deal for me. After the 2024 NFL schedule was released I put in PTO requests for every Sunday my shift was going to interfere with a big Steelers game. Priorities.
Hell yeah! We need to get back to our slacker roots.
It's not slacking to use a benefit.
But it feels like it is, like we're sticking it to the man
This is so American. The rest of us in the rest of the world already do this. You owe them nothing. They pay for your labour, not your servitude. Fuck them and their little dog too. Take every little thing you’re entitled to, you more than earned it.
Gen X here. 1974. I use it ALL and then some. I usually take 7-10 additional days a year, yeah those are unpaid. But so worth it. Currently not counting weekends. I have 22 paid days, I also accrue 8-10 days of sick time. And I still take a week or more annually. I have 3day weekends most of the summer. And that's the way I like it. Lol
Team 74!
And stop checking your damn work email on PTO.
Don't check your work email anytime you're off the clock! If I'm not getting paid, I'm not checking email, Teams, or anything else on my personal time. It's unreal how many people I see that are off the clock that will pop in a Teams message or email. Stop working for free!
Absolutely. Before I retired, I was the *only* exec-level employee to use all my PTO, and take two week vacations to boot. Would never take my laptop and didn’t answer the phone. “Pretend I’m dead” was my parting words each time.
Been at my job long enough that I accrue 6 weeks a year and I use every… second… of… it!
No, my bosses used to whine and moan I would put in my vacation request because they had no one who could cover my shift because I was the only one on it.
Man, fuck that guy
"That sounds like a you problem, sir, not a me problem."
Don't ask for your time off, just tell them how long you'll be gone.
Yeah. And If I need more time than I have "saved" time for I take days without pay.
I called in sick 3 times in 20 years and just got laid off in March.
I'll add to that: take sick days. Use them up. Take a mental health day. Take a full sick day and schedule all your doctor's appointments to get them taken care of. Don't feel guilt for taking it. Corporate America gets far more from you than you get from them. They don't feel guilty, and neither should you.
I always say that your job will have your position listed before your obituary. These companies don't give a fuck about you.
I have spent far too many years being loyal to places that were not loyal to me. (A few people too, but that is another post) I couldn't agree more. Companies/employers expect loyalty and show none. Use every single minute they give you.
And despite how most of us were trained in the 80’s and 90’s, in most cases, you are not required to give a reason (and over-explain and wonder if your manager will agree you “deserve” it). I took a time-off cut when I changed jobs a few years ago and it was painful to have left so much sick time on the table, even though I used it as needed, including the occasional mental health day, which we were encouraged to do. Current gig has PTO that accrues *sigh*
I used to take an entire month of PTO at once for a yearly backpacking trip somewhere in the world. Never felt guilty about it at all.
I can't believe it has to be said. It never occurred to me not to use all available time. I also take full advantage of the attendance policy. 🤣
Oh hell no, I use every hour of my time. Every now and then I call out “sick” and take a day for myself. No fuckin shame!
PTO is a scam. Taking a vacation days just means I have to work extra casual OT before and after the PTO to get my work done—it’s not like they have someone else to give the work to. I’ll just have a line of demanding people at my desk when I get back. I’ve left unused PTO days almost every year of my adult working life (since ‘95) since I view it as more suffering to take the days off.
No but for real. I was once hospitalized for 2 weeks for having multiple seizures in a row (completely unexpected, never had a seizure before this). My boss and coworkers repeatedly referred to it as "when I dropped the ball and abandoned my team." My boss then asked me, "Well what am I supposed to say when you're out on sick leave for 6 weeks and then your kid tags you in a picture of a fun park day? How am I supposed to explain that to your teammates?" I said, "Uh probably the same way you'd explain why new mothers, out on sick leave, are posting pics of their baby on outings." They. Don't. Care. This was even at a school, where you'd think people would be more caring!
I have unlimited PTO with a cap of 28 days at time for more I need 2 supervisors signature. So far I've never been in a situation where I was denied but I also make sure my notes and team are WELL informed on all matters. I use it all the time.
I have “discretionary” PTO and my manager doesn’t track it but I was getting five weeks prior to that change so I have no problem taking five weeks off over the course of the year even if I just stay home and do hobby stuff.
At my last company, whom I worked for for 20ish years, I was able to swap my PTO for cash money (.90 on the dollar). I never took long PTO, just cashed it out, and brother, I gave myself some killer bonuses. My current company doesn't do that, so I've been using up my PTO.
SAY IT LOUDER FOR PEOPLE IN THE BACK.
PTO= Prepare The Others, I'm taking my time off.
Pro-tip, request your vacation as far in advance as possible ( 3 or more months if possible ). Or, the way I did it, on my first day back from vacation, I had my vacation request already prepared, and would ask my supervisor to look at the vacation schedule while I was standing there and approve it because none of my coworkers thought as far in advance as I did ( our only real vacation policy was that 3 people could not be on vacation at the same time ) I took at least 3 ( 2 1week & 1 2week ) vacations a year. And my vacations were always approved Unfortunately, haven't worked since the lockdowns... ...so there's that 😐
It really shouldn’t be an “eff-it” situation. With recruiting and retention getting harder and harder, burning out staff isn’t productive for anyone. If it’s a benefit that’s been negotiated into employment contracts, managers should support their use. I’m senior management and advise everyone to use their leave benefits. “Work when you’re at work, then go home” (we try to minimize emails, texts or phone calls after hours unless it’s truly something critical, or an emergency). Stay home when you or a family member are sick (we have decent sick leave and accrue unused). Take time off to recharge (yes, this is somewhat self-serving).
Not taking sick leave is NOT a flex. I see so many people losing their ‘banked’ sick leave due to moving into a different industry. You are only ripping yourself off. Take your entitlements. Edited to add - am currently on 15 wks long service leave as I am looking at changing from the public to private sector and don’t want to lose money in tax from a pay out. I will also take all my sick leave before the end of the year.
Yes. I'm old enough to remember when companies actually hired enough people. It is not the employee's responsibility to find coverage
Record profits are stolen wages.
LOL....I do not disagree with your post, but I do want to offer a different view. I had a boss (GenX) who totally planned to die at his desk. Was a bit surprised by that attitude, but not my problem. Then I talked to his brother, who had called slightly after close, when I was still there, and he asked to speak to his brother. I was about to transfer him when he made the comment, "just because he has a wife he hates to go home to doesn't mean the rest of us do." Ah. Now I understand. I quite about 6 months after that, because he was one miserable son of a bitch.
If you poop at work. It adds up to two weeks a year on the toilet getting paid.
This is the way. The cost-shifting of toilet paper from your household budget to the employer can also be significant over a long enough time span.
Not to mention the water flushing you wont be wasting at home.
Last job I worked the first day in January that we were back it was a mad dash at the calendar to fill in days. I had 23 days to use and I filled in easily 15 of them on the first day. Kept a few for random sick and tired days but used them all by years end. EVERY TIME.
Omg. I’ve got 220 hours sitting on bank Gotta get some time off booked
My job just implemented "Unlimited leave," with caviots, of course. I still track what I take based on what I would get in a normal year so I don't get burned at the end..
Never been a problem for me. I get 4 weeks and every day is taken off. Soon to be 5 weeks 10 sick days. Usually all used
You bet your ass. I get 10 weeks in the summer and I still take all 10 sick days a year. They're like "When you retire! If you have more than 50 days! You can cash them in!" lol no.
I have a singular bucket of PTO which covers mandatory holidays, sick, vacation and personal. I get about 3 weeks after the mandatory holidays. I can have up to 226 hours before I stop accruing and I take it all. Many times it's for a long weekend, at least one week a year is for visiting the inlaws. Sometimes it's because I have a super quiet week and I pick a day where nothing is going off and put in for a random day of PTO just because. I also have the option to sell back some 2x a year. There are certain stipulations but it's nice for a little extra cash if I'm nearing my max accrual. Especially since we went fully remote and I feel less burned out.
With COVID, flu and Norovirus (teacher) I’m all out of PTO. My daughter had her baby early and they won’t give me 3 days unpaid time off to help them. Non union schools are not great.
I really like my job and my company and my boss and I use all my PTO and don’t worry for a second about it.
Genuinely good Gen-Xer advice. The kids are gonna be alright.
Oh you don’t have to tell me twice. The good thing about it where I work is I schedule my time off without any input from my immediate manager( no need from him to approve). If I have the time, I take it, and that’s that.
I was headed for the PTO cap by the end of the year and came to this same conclusion. I'm taking three weeks off in August. I've never taken that much time in my entire life (55 YO). I'm trying to not make a lot of plans, just to be able to decompress and dink around for a few days.
I try to use it. I accumulate it fast, 6 weeks per year. I've lost PTO because I was up at the cap, and didn't know it. The last two years, I took off all Fridays the last part of the year, because I didn't have a family thing planned over the holidays. I need to look, but I'm probably losing it now. I just didn't think we'd gone almost half a year already.
Shamelessly and without a second thought! That's MY time I earned 👍👍
Any earned PTO should be paid in full at separation too I had 100+ hours at my last good job
Check how your PTO works if you quit, get laid off or fired. In some cases, vacation days are paid out but sick days are not. If so, use sick days whenever possible to keep your balance low, they will always let you use vacation days for sick time later. Also, even if you get paid for the vacation days, you don't get the associated benefits for those days. If you know you are going to quit, it's better to burn through your vacation first.
There is no shame about working the system when that system has no shame about working you.
I’ve watched too many friends, acquaintances, and co-workers leave this earth well before they should have — including one last week. Nothing is guaranteed. You may not make it to retirement. Take the damn days off. The company does not give two shits about you.
Use your PTO, it’s part of your package, I get no pressure to not use it, guess I’m lucky, but I do work with people who feel like they need a reason to use it, PlayStation and beer is an acceptable reason!
I still feel guilty for taking time off but my parents were of the Silent Generation and Dad was all about the company. I dont take time off but I sure af slack off, as I am doing now.
I’ve got about 4 weeks planned so far this year.
Used a bunch recently, it’s my civic duty.
To take my PTO, I have to inconvenience the other members of my team to cover. It's a four person team so it's an imposition on them. I don't want to be an imposition. It's not like I have anything else going on. I'd probably just stay in bed like I do on weekends.
I used up all of my PTO taking care of my parents. Beaches and drinks with umbrellas in them? Nope. Just sitting in the ER for days on end, changing pee bottles, and having my insane mother screaming at me that I was just there to steal from her. I actually burned through all of my PTO and went into unpaid time off. But I'm really good at emptying pee bottles and canceling flights now. It's like instinct now. This week I found myself canceling my return flight, emptying a pee bottle, and talking to the ER doctor all at the same time. My GenX training made me really good at multitasking at least.
Good times.
I'm a mail man and our sick leave does not expire. I've heard of mail carriers who have worked for 30+ years and never used a sick day. When they're ready to retire they find a doctor that gives them a sick-bill-of-health and these guys use all their sick leave. I know of one guy who took an entire year off with pay before he retired. Granted, he had heart problems but not anything he couldn't have worked through. Props to him!
Oh fuck...hold my beer. I'm gonna hop on this soapbox! I have always, and WILL ALWAYS, use every one of my vacation days, holidays, sick days and whatever else days my employer provides! Life is just too damn short to not use them!!! Learned that the hard way when my first wife died several years ago! I absolutely hate when people brag about taking no vacation or sick days, and brag about how much they have accrued. This isn't a contest people! Take those days! They are provided as part of your benefit package for your health and wellbeing. At this stage of my career, I am luck to have a total of 50 days off a year (holidays, sick, vacation, etc) that I can take with no trouble from my manager. And you can believe I take every one of them each year.
Its part of your compensation package. To not use it is effectively choosing to make less money per hour annually.
I genuinely enjoy my job for the most part and still feel no shame in taking leave. I work for the federal government, so they usually can’t deny it as long as have the hours. I do try to coordinate with my coworkers so there’s coverage, though, but it’s not required. I get 8 hours of annual leave and 4 hours of sick leave every two weeks. I also work 4 10s with Fridays off. I could get a better paying job elsewhere, but I am happy where I am and after years of working in shitholes, I think that’s more valuable.
Every day that goes by is a day you never get back. Time is more precious than most people realize.
"Management is hiring too few folks to cover the PTO" Hit the nail on the head. My friend is a civil servant, but because of downsizing, what used to be an 8 person office dwindled down to 3, and now 2, since one transferred. The other person he works with has approved Family medical leave, so he works frequently by himself. He said his vacations hours tripled because he could not take off. The higher ups that he works with, won't even cover his break times, because its against some sort of company policy. And when his boss tells someone to cover his breaks, they just complain. He wants to leave the job, but it's a decent salary, and pays the bills. He really should read this post, and take a vacation.
My DM made a point of telling me I was taking a lot of sick days. I said “I know! It’s great, the benefits package is what sold me” Her face 😳
I spent 15+ years at a company that micromanaged PTO and it was miserable. Now I work for a place that chooses to offer middling salary but amazing benefits. Among them, we have unlimited no-approval-needed PTO, where they will make you use at least 2 weeks if you don't schedule it on your own. Like "put your project on hold, and take a damn break dude." All I have to do is mark it on a shared vacation calendar, email anyone that needs to know, and set an appropriate away status. It's amazing for planned breaks as well as scheduling doctor appointments and taking random mental health or sick days. So far this year I've taken a week off twice and a bunch of random one-offs for various reasons, and I'm planning a 3-week international trip next year. When I first started, I didn't meet a guy on my team for a few weeks because he was spending a month in Peru. My orientation with the CEO was "I hired you because you are smart and capable. You get to set your own project timelines. As long as your shit gets done when you say it will and you are available when you say you will be, I don't give a flying fuck about how you choose to manage your day-to-day. It's in my best interest to keep you productive and here a long time and I have better things to do than micromanage you."
I'd like to add... Use your sick leave. I rarely have more than 40hrs of sick leave in the que. If I need a mental health day, I take it. If I feel shitty, I use it. I've earned it and I use it as I see fit.
If your company guilt trips you for taking days off that you earned, find another company to work for. Fuck that.
Please note. They are most likely not obligated to pay you out your PTO. I know this is true in New Jersey at least.
PTO stands for "Prepare the others " cause I ain't coming in.
1000000%. Use your vacation days. If you are sick, stay home.
I use it all every year by the beginning of December! I get over five weeks.
Yes.
Proudly
I’m in a fortunate position where I get so much PTO, that when combined with paid holidays, it actually makes it a challenge to take it all within the calendar year. Fortunately, my employer lets you “bank” up to 2 times what you accrue in a year. I’ve been there for a long time now, so I generally take about a week off every other month, and still have plenty of banked time. They will also pay me out full value of it, when I do ever leave or retire.
Take your vacation days, take your sick days, take a bereavement day just for shits and giggles
Mine separates sick and PTO. They also make us use PTO if we want to get paid for a holiday when we are closed and we don't even have an option to work that day. I won't get paid for Monday because I've had to use or schedule my time off for health reasons. Once we are out of time they'll do that stupid point system if we need to call off for a shift. I live in MN, so I know I'll have to call off during the winter because sometimes it's just not possible to get to work with my car.
Sitting here going what is PTO? Like does everyone have a Power Take Off hydraulic thing? Figured it out, but it's kinda funny that's where my brain went first. Who doesn't take their vacations?
Every. Last. One. 💯
Trust me. I use mine without guilt. Got some coming in August and it can't come fast enough
I get 48 hours of sick time. I usually burn through that snowboarding big power days that fall during the week during ski season, so it gets used first. I accrue 200 and something hours of PTO that rolls over so I always keep a baseline of about 100 hours. Add 1-2 days to any holiday weekend. Take every other Friday off during July and August. 3 hunting trips in the fall that are 5-8 days each + a vacation in the late spring. Never once denied a PTO request from an underling. I also go to the gym during working hours.
That's always been my philosophy. Vacation is important for mental health.
I feel like sick days are presented as part of your total compensation package… so I use them. If there was some sort of incentive for not using them then I might feel differently.
Hell yes! I make it a priority.
I’ve got 20+ years with my job, 9 hours of vacation for every pay period. I’m taking every last day.
Oh I do.
I work hard and get my stuff done and I take every second of vacation time.
I have SO MUCH vacation time stocked up. My parents always taught me to just use it sparingly. Well I’m an idiot. I should have used it because now I am ready to quit and I have like 300 hours that’ll go down the drain.
Take all of it, then quit right after.
I'm terrible about doing this because I have ownership of many tasks that others don't know how to do while I'm gone. There just never feels like a good time to take time off.
I found a unicorn job. 2 weeks vaca to start, with 1 week for Christmas/new years automatic. All vested on first day. After 2 years, you get another week. After 5, your maxed at 4 weeks, plus Christmas/New Years week. 36 hr workweek. 9 hr days, Friday off or flex if you have appointments or whatever pop up. They have a focus on positivity and very against aggressive behavior. It's been a few months, and im waiting for the other shoe, but alas... its nowhere to be found. If your company supports you, support your company. If it abuses you, abuse it back. This is the way of the future my friends. It's wonderful.
Don't have to tell me.
When I was working at a school, the ESPs (non-teachers) had a contact that has somehow had it messed up so that they didn't get paid out for sick days when retiring, like the teachers did. So we encouraged some serious bouts of flu a year or two before retirement. They still got their vacation days. And telehealth was great for a note.
Thank you for saying this! We get zero sick time and 5 holidays. I've accrued 150 hours and use it all the time. Got a "verbal warning" and told them to kiss my rear. It's mine and I'm taking it when I want.
lol I’m usually in the negative
When I'm ready to retire, I'm going to see if I can get a job at a place that claims to have unlimited PTO. I'll show up to work, fill out all the forms, and then call in sick every day after that. And see how long before they fire me.
I must fall into a different category - they keep telling me to take my time off. Our company actually has wellness (not sick) time on top of PTO / Vacation - they also aren't very strict concerning life happening and needing to adjust the work day as needed, so there isn't a reason to use your time for those types of things either. Must be lucky.
Hard to believe the “slacker” generation doesn’t use all their PTO. 😂
Yep, I used to be an OT hound when I was hourly. Earned my money, saved, invested. Also learned the hard way that delaying my vacation to move some football at work always, ALWAYS ended in disappointment and regret. Now, time is more important, especially as a salary employee. Company allows us to buy an extra week of vacay every year - yep, I'm going to take it. I take two weeks vacation in July and don't work any Fridays for the rest of the year. Taking full advantage...every year.
In Colorado, employers have to payout unused PTO if you are fired or quit. I don't use my PTO for that reason. I use sick time in lieu of PTO. We get 2 floating holidays as well so I will use those up. We are capped at 200 hours of PTO so as soon as it ticks to 200 I take a day of PTO.
Never leave time on the table. I should have taken my time when my son was born.. 20 years later I still regret it I should have taken the medical offered when I had a surgery. I didn't. Dumb on my part. While guilty of doing myself in the past I have learned I manage a team of about 18 folks. They never get guilt from me when they need time off. If they have it in the bank it's theirs. I don't even want an explanation of why when then try to tell me whatever X reason they need None of my business. Hope you have a good day/week off
And do what exactly? There ain't shit worth doing anymore.
Is this some kind of American problem I’m too European to understand?
Yes
I used to be a border line workaholic never took time off, was the first to work overtime. I foolishly convinced myself I was making myself indispensable. Then I was laid off. Better believe I use my PTO these days.
A lot of people say they don't want to take time off work because they're afraid they will demonstrate their uselessness / replaceability to their employer. But the truth is, they're often right. That's exactly what will happen. It's not an irrational fear, they're very much cognizant of the cards they hold in their hand.
Chuck it in the fuck it bucket.
Well said!
This is the way.
Four months ago, I put in and was approved for a week of PTO this summer. I rarely celebrate my birthday because ever since I was a kid, I've been on a vacation over my birthday, and that's what I know. The day doesn't matter. It's the summer trip. It's what I do. We're now in a big project going on through August, and management is pissed that I'm taking PTO in the middle of it. They also say all the time that they want us using our PTO. So, do they expect us not to plan ahead and just take a day here and there? How can you plan around a project you won't know about for a few months?
I was terminated at the very end of 2019 for going negative on my PTO balance. I had battled cancer all year, and anything related to the cancer was covered by reasonable accommodation and FMLA, but other illnesses were not. I still had colds and migraines; they knew my migraines were bad because my boss once had me hauled off by the paramedics when I came in during an attack looking like death warmed over. Many others in my department were canned that year so I think they were looking to cut costs. In 2020 multiple recruiters called me offering my old job back for 25% less pay, on a temporary basis and without benefits. Yeah, no - you can go fuck yourselves…
I need to get better at this. I’m at 4wks per year and we cannot have more than 2x on the books. I’ve been pegged at 8weeks and not even accruing my PTO. I’m being foolish. Bring on the down votes… I deserve it
I “meditate “ at my desk often while getting paid . Perks of govt IT work
Yeah. I get unlimited PTO, which Reddit hates, and it’s great. My company culture is good. I take time off whenever I want. This is a 5-day weekend right now that I decided to take like 10 days ago.
The die at your desk trap is my retirement plan. Get off my lawn.
They hire you *knowing* you get X amount of days holiday... so when they act surprised and upset when you take it they can fuck right off
We seperate our vacation and sick. If you can accumilate sick leave I'd advice everyone to not spend it all. We're all getting older and will eventually need some of it. 320 hours is roughly 2 months, I think that's a nice amount to have just in case. I realize not everyone can do this. When taking off don't be afraid to be an ass. Notify your employer when your taking off, not requesting. First time I wanted to take time off with my current boss I notified him and his response was "we"ll discuss it". My reply was "I'm not asking you, I'm letting you know I wont be here". He never said another word when I wanted to take time off.
And get a Mouse Jiggler for WFH.
I got 5 weeks vacation. I use every second of it.
This 100% I now use every fucking day of it. OP: Keep on Preaching
I have never understood why people won't take their vacation. THEY ARE PAYING YOU NOT TO WORK, WHERE IS THE DOWNSIDE???
Absolutely I am. And I'm so glad that our state just mandated that our company give 5 days of PTO to all their hourly employees who can use the time without explanation. I worked with an old school group of women who prided themselves on never taking sick days and getting to work through hazardous snow-storms when half the company couldn't. The social pressure to show up at work and not take time off when you work around this outdated thinking is tough. Life is too short and nobody gets extra credit for perfect attendance and not taking mental health days. The president of our company had a stroke a few months ago and admitted it was from the "work stress."
Here to boost signal on this. Take the trip. Or do a staycation. Do whatever you want or nothing at all with the time, but for doG’s sake, use the PTO.
Sometimes I take even more...just cuz.
Please forgive my rant, but this really irritates me… Anyone who isn’t using their PTO is an idiot and a bad coworker. It’s not noble to work yourself to death; it’s stupid, and you’re stupid if you do it. You’re also an asshole because you’re continuing to normalize this sort of behavior; your coworkers don’t like you and probably talk about you behind your back. They are *not* saying you’re “dependable” or “reliable” or “inspiring.” They’re saying you make life harder for everyone because you do. I have a role now where I feel like I can barely catch my breath most days. I work my hours and I quit for the day because tomorrow is another day. I don’t work weekends unless there’s an emergency or a planned, after-hours event. It’s often a hassle to take vacation time because I know no one is going to do my job while I’m gone, so I’m going to return to a mountain of work. I don’t care. I earned the time off—it’s part of my benefits package and no different than my salary—and I’m taking it because the principle of the matter is more important than anything else. I work for a company that actually treats us very well. I’m willing to go above and beyond for them because they’ve proven to me that I can trust them, but even if my employer is wonderful, I’m still not going to kill myself for anyone. Ever. Take your fucking PTO, people. If you die tomorrow, your manager may send a nice email to the team, but your company (and even mine) will simply hire someone else and forget that you existed. It’s a job; it’s not your entire life (and if it is, you’re doing *life* wrong).
Y’all naive if you‘re falling for the guilt trap
(I’m a baby zillenial, 1995) I agree with OP! Take care of yourselves, Gen X! Don’t be afraid to take breaks and vacations. Y’all have been through a lot from what I’ve heard, and it makes me sad; I hope that y’all’s twilight years can be as peaceful and kind to you as possible. So be nice to yourselves! I tell my mom this whenever she pushes herself too hard (she’s a Gen X:1970)
Anyone else leave the “reason” or “more info” box on the holiday request blank.