Effective PTO
Having rejuvenating and distraction free time off is hard to achieve, especially as a lot of work can now be achieved remotely or virtually (and thus, while on vacation time). Let's address that.
The state of burnout and overworked employees in the US is a rising problem. Many employees are shifting to a partially remote flexible work culture in which the separation of personal time and work time is blurring. For many situations this has been a positive change: the workday can be shifted to match your biological clock, family, or medical needs. For time off, however, it has made it increasingly difficult to truly get a break.
In this article, I'm going to provide a checklist of items to complete for your paid time off (PTO). I'll also be providing context that will help you fulfill the checklist and ensure you maximize the value of your PTO. I've tried to be thorough with my recommendations, so some aspects may not apply to you or your employment situation. If I missed any important details, feel free to let me know.
PTO Checklist
I recommend copying or bookmarking this checklist for later. I've intentionally included it in a Google Doc for easy sharing.
The rest of this section goes into detail about each of the checklist items.
Review employer's policy on PTO
Make sure to check your employee handbook regarding the official PTO policy. Not only is it (mostly) legally binding, but it will also give you the clearest perspective on how to effectively manage your PTO within the defined policy. Most companies follow similar rules and expectations around PTO so you may not need to read the finer details. However, if you are declaring a sick day, sabbatical, bereavement period, medical leave, paternal leave, or any other less-common PTO condition, you'll want to thoroughly understand your company's policy on the matter.
Coordinate with your manager and team about your PTO
Especially if you are planning to take time off for more than a couple of days, you'll want to keep your manager and team informed well ahead of time of your plans. Your manager has some rights to deny your PTO request if it is unreasonable or harmful to the business. Even if your manager approves your spontaneous PTO request, it may negatively impact your team that unexpectedly had to fill the void of your absence which may negatively impact your performance reviews.
Check for conflicting crucial deadlines, meetings, or events
In similar regards, you'll want to ensure that your PTO doesn't occur during meetings or events that need you to be present. If you plan far enough ahead, you can usually reschedule these meetings or events or adjust your PTO plans as needed.
If you have hard deadlines (for my side-tangent rant on what I think about "soft" deadlines, see: Deadlines) make sure to have your tasks completed before your PTO begins; otherwise, you may find your beach time cut short.
Ensure your shift or on-call rotation is covered during the PTO
If you have a determined shift or on-call rotation, make sure to check if you have any conflicts with your PTO period. It's usually quite simple to trade out rotations with other team members. The further out in advance you prepare your PTO, the more likely there won't be any issues "shifting" things around.
Recruit an emergency contact
While you're on PTO, it will be very tempting for your coworkers and clients to interrupt it. If you let them, there will always be "good" reasons to pull you back into work. Don't be a hero. Let your time off be time off. That said, there are emergency-level situations in which you should be contacted. Unfortunately, not everyone will agree with your definition of an emergency, as it doesn't fit into their agenda. This is why I recommend recruiting an emergency contact.
An emergency contact is someone who is not on PTO that:
Has a good understanding of your responsibilities.
You trust to protect yourself from non-emergency requests.
Your manager is a great starting option, but only if you know your manager has your best interests set above their own agenda. Alternatively, find a co-worker that is close to your work and a loyal friend.
Still no luck finding that emergency contact? You might be tempted to ask a friend or family member not employed at your company. I don't recommend that. They are likely difficult to reach (because they have their responsibilities outside of the interest of your team's) and they aren't familiar enough with your work to gauge what is an emergency. Instead, I recommend giving your boss your emergency criteria list and ensuring they are comfortable with adhering to it before you leave.
Funnel all communication to the emergency contact. Your autoresponders should provide your emergency contact's email address so the sender can escalate if necessary. Give your manager and team your emergency contact's information and emergency criteria list. Even if your team has your personal contact information, ask them not to use it and instead direct such communication through your emergency contact. This may seem tedious and redundant and that's entirely the point.
Only your emergency contact should have permission to contact you, which they should do via a phone call. An email or text message is not suitable for emergencies and should only be reserved if you don't answer the call. Unless you will be alone on your PTO, provide your emergency contact the phone number of someone else you will be with, in case they cannot reach you.
Create your emergency criteria list
Your emergency contact will need some guidance on what you explicitly deem to be an emergency and what you explicitly deem to not be an emergency. Common sense doesn't need to be articulated. Instead, write down items that are nuanced and specific to your current work that the emergency contact may not be aware of. This should be a succinct bullet list under two headers: "contact if" and "do not contact if". For guidance on what is worthy of an emergency, consider:
Will significant money be lost if not addressed by you specifically?
Will your team be significantly blocked from any meaningful work if not addressed by you specifically?
Is there a situation that is time-sensitive that is deemed to be an emergency agreed by you and your employer ahead of time and requires your attention specifically?
Helping your emergency contact to say "no"
Your emergency contact may feel stuck between a rock in a hard place: not wanting to interrupt your vacation (the reason you recruited them) and not wanting an emergency to spiral out of control without you. They will also likely feel pressure from those trying to contact you.
Be extra considerate of your emergency contact. If they contact you more than they should, you can kindly let them know, but be patient with them, this isn't a process they are likely familiar with. When your contact knows the situation is not worth contacting you about but is still feeling pressured to do so, have them remind the correspondent that you are on PTO and give them your return date. If they push further, have your emergency contact give them your emergency criteria list.
Set up vacation autoresponders
A vacation autoresponder is a tool built into your communication app that automatically responds with a custom message you can set up noting that you're out of the office and when you'll return. I also recommend posting the contact information of your emergency contact. Here's an example message:
I am out of office and will respond after I return on <day after your last day of PTO>. If you need to reach me, please contact <name of emergency contact> at <their email address> who may forward your request to me if it is an emergency.
Yes, I specifically recommend noting your return date to be one day beyond the actual PTO end day (especially for external communication) just to give you time to catch up.
Your internal communication app (e.g. Slack)
To set up your autoresponder for Slack, see Slack's support page. For any other app, just google: "<name of app> vacation autoresponder".
Email
To set up your autoresponder for Gmail, see Gmail's support page. For any other email app, just google: "<name of app> vacation autoresponder".
Set OOO event(s) on your work calendar
Block out the time you'll be on your PTO on your work calendar. For Google Calendar, see the support page. For any other email app, just google "<name of app> out of office." In most calendar apps, if you simply type "OOO" (out of office) in the event title, it'll switch the event type for you.
I recommend specifying what your reachability is going to be right after the "OOO" title. Something like:
"OOO: limited cell, no internet"
"OOO: full internet, no laptop"
"OOO: limited internet"
That said, I wouldn't recommend posting "OOO: with internet and laptop" as you'll just open your doors to disruptions. Instead, just leave it as "OOO". Let them guess what that means (or better yet, let them ask your emergency contact what that means).
I also recommend that you have the OOO event specifically covering your typical workday (plus a few hours buffer at the start and end) rather than using the "all day" event. Most calendar apps don't display an "all day" event very clearly.
Silence notifications on your phone and laptop
Silence push notifications on your phone (iPhone and Android). Modern phone do-not-disturb modes have features for specifically only permitting calls from certain people (such as your emergency contact). Use it!
If possible, leave the laptop at home. If not possible (or desired), Silence push notifications on your laptop (Mac and PC) as well. You may even want to remove all communication apps from your login/startup items (Mac and PC) and quit all such apps so they aren't running in the background.
Do not open your work communication apps during your vacation unless you absolutely have to. Even if you are pulled into an emergency, if you can stay off of these apps to resolve the issue do so. Otherwise, you'll see unrelated notifications that you can't help but notice and you'll be itching to resolve.
Start of workday after PTO
Unmute notifications on your phone and laptop
An easy and frustrating step to miss. When you get back from your PTO, make sure to add back your login/start-up items and enable notifications on your phone/laptop. Basically, undo what you did in the above step.
Understanding your PTO
Not all PTO should be treated equally. Different PTO situations should be prepared for, respected, and accounted for differently. I'll go over the most common situations and how to manage them.
Holidays
The greatest benefit of official company holidays is that everyone takes the day off. Please respect that, even if you don't celebrate the holiday. If no one is working, nothing breaks. If no one is working, there's no demand to get things done. If no one is working, there is no work. This is why I'm an opponent against floating holidays: you lose the benefit of the whole office being away.
If you choose to work on a holiday, please avoid work that may interrupt someone else's holiday.
One-day PTO
If you're simply taking one day off, even for something like a 3-day weekend, I recommend ignoring most items on the checklist and just doing the bare minimum. Even if you make yourself completely unavailable, your team and clients will likely get by just fine.
Vacation
The checklist above is specifically curated for vacation-like PTO. A vacation is about resetting, reducing burnout, and forgetting about the standard grind of work for a bit. It is in your best interest and the best interest of your employer to ensure your vacation maximizes your recovery so that you come back refreshed with new energy and productivity.
Stay-cation
Not everyone finds vacations to be all that relaxing. Young kids, anxiety, lack of energy, pandemics (😬), or economic instability are all valid reasons for avoiding a get-away. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't deliberately take time off, even if it's just to stay home. There is nothing shameful about getting a babysitter to stay at a nearby hotel, dropping kids off at grandma's house, or simply grinding through that new video game. Your employer cannot discriminate against your form of PTO and so you shouldn't feel pressured if you just want to stay home.
As for the checklist, sometimes it's best to follow it as if you were on an actual vacation. Other times, it may be less stressful to you if you stay caught up on communication while still avoiding work and meetings. You decide what is best for you.
Personal obligation, volunteer days, or civic duty
Taking time to do work–personal work–is an ironically successful way to help recoup from the burnout of your employed work. Whether it's doing work in the yard, remodeling the kitchen, taking part in a volunteer cleanup, or fulfilling some other non-work-related duty, the change of pace can help you refresh and reset.
I highly recommend that when you such personal workdays, you mark yourself as completely unavailable, especially if you're performing physical labor. You may not have your phone on you, or not in a good state to take a call or jump on your laptop. If you are taking multiple days of this kind of PTO, you may want to designate a block of time each day for you to be available.
Sick day
When you are sick, you should really consider taking time off. Make sure to check your employer's sick day policy in the employee handbook. Depending on the employer, they may grant you sick days as free PTO (this is common in the tech industry) or that you have to use your own PTO. Some employers may also require a doctor's note. It is not illegal to deny you paid time off if you are sick (except under medical leave), but if it's documented in the employee handbook, they must stick to their own policies.
If your company permits remote work and provides you with unlimited paid sick days, there may be a culture of doing some work, even while sick, if you are physically capable enough. You are under no obligation to do so (unless the employee handbook states otherwise), but you may find it less stressful to maintain basic communication and perform minimum work. You'll likely be sitting around the house anyway, and the last thing you'd want is a pile of notifications waiting for you when you return to work. This is very much a personal choice though, and you do you.
Medical leave
If you have a medical condition that is unsuitable to continue working, either temporarily or long term, you should research what kind of rights you have as an employee. Most companies are bound by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which ensures you'll still have your health insurance coverage during your leave and your job secured when you return. Most medical leave programs will not cover your pay or only partially cover your pay. Talk with your manager about what options are available for you if you believe you are eligible for medical leave. These can include, but are not beholden to birth or fostering of a child, becoming the primary caregiver of a seriously ill loved one or becoming seriously ill yourself, being called into active duty, etc.
Although you should do everything possible to keep your employer happy while under medical leave, in most cases you are not obligated to (or in some cases even legally able to) continue work until you return from the medical leave. Work very closely with your employer to ensure you have a proper plan prior to your medical leave.
Paternal leave
Otherwise known as maternal leave, family leave, or paternity, your employer may roll up this policy under medical leave or have a specifically defined policy around taking time off when a new child widens your family circle. Most employers have different policies for female vs male employees or maternal vs paternal roles. Make sure to talk with your manager to determine what policies your particular case falls under.
I recommend being unavailable–except for emergencies–during the first few days or the first week after giving birth or fostering a child. For the remaining time, you may be a bit more settled in and find a few distractions of work to be a beneficial break, especially if you are not the "primary caregiver". If you are the "primary caregiver"—I have received feedback from those that are—I recommend finding a pace that works for you: you may like to take a break from parenthood and work occasionally, maybe just checking email and internal communication, or taking one day a week to work. Do not feel embarrassed or pressured to not take the entire allotted leave amount regardless of whether you are the primary or secondary caregiver. Work with your manager on expectations, which should help them understand how much or little you plan to work. Once again, this is very personal and you do you.
Bereavement
Not all employers offer bereavement PTO—check the employee handbook—but even if you need to take your own PTO, I highly recommend you take bereavement time seriously. If you have significant stressors at work, talk to your manager to ensure they can find a way to alleviate or shift these obligations elsewhere. Make sure to take the time you need to recover from these unfortunate situations; otherwise, it could seriously harm your mental wellbeing and professional effectiveness.
Sabbaticals
There are varying reasons to take a sabbatical, too many and too differing to enumerate here. If you plan to take a sabbatical, make sure to check your employee handbook and work with your manager. You may not even have the option to do so or may have specific restrictions.
Planning your PTO
You may find that your PTO plans conflict with the expectations of your team and employer. Make sure to coordinate such plans with your manager as far ahead of time as possible, giving appropriate consideration to any obligations that may conflict with your away time. Your employer has the right to reject your PTO requests. Here are a few reasons why they may reasonably do so:
Your PTO request conflicts with important events, meetings, or deadlines in which you are needed.
Your PTO request has too many days back-to-back. Taking more than a couple of weeks off can make work quite difficult for your team.
Your PTO request is too sudden. Make sure to request your PTO as far ahead of time as reasonably possible. If you need to make changes, most employers can easily edit or remove PTO request that doesn't work out as originally planned.
Your PTO request conflicts with other employees' PTO requests. This may not even be a matter of first-come-first-serve. A common example of this is for too many employees to wait until the end of the year to take PTO before it is lost. Some employers may embrace an extended Christmas/holiday break. Some may condemn it. Talk with your manager if you are intentionally planning PTO at that time. If you give your manager sufficient heads up and have an intentional reason for the PTO, you'll likely get priority over the other employees.
You have put in your 2-week notice. Your manager likely needs you to distill your knowledge so they can continue to effectively operate after you exit. Besides, it may be in your best financial interest to not use up all your PTO before departing. In many states, your employer is required to pay out your remaining PTO. Your employee handbook likely specifies what happens to your PTO after termination. If you are uncertain, you may be able to find an anonymous way to ask or you could ask your HR department (although they are not necessarily loyal to keeping your inquiry secret from your manager). As a side note, if your employer offers unlimited PTO, it's likely for their benefit, not yours. "Unlimited PTO" and "no PTO" are the same thing in the books: neither is required under law to be paid out on termination.
Other Resources
If you're looking for more details about how to have a great vacation, here's a few more resources to leave you with!
And finally, here is a PDF on the Power of Vacation Planning the US Travel Association put together as part of their 2018 study.
I hope this guide has helped your confidence in having a happy and successful time off. Enjoy it! 🌴
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