Employee Sips Hot Chocolate, Watches Netflix As Big Project Burns: “Just Following HR’s Rules”

When last did you take leave? The whole point of paid time off is to give hard-working employees a chance to relax, destress and reset. It can help boost productivity, prevent burnout and keep staff happy. But often, work gets in the way, and people end up putting off their vacations out of guilt, or to focus on looming deadlines or big projects.

That’s exactly what one person kept doing a few years ago – until they received a stern warning from HR that they had to take all unused PTO before 31 December or they’d lose it. No exceptions. The employee did exactly as told, despite being in the middle of a major project, but after they logged off to enjoy some much-needed downtime, all hell broke loose at the office.

You’re not always allowed to take leave during a critical time at work

Man wearing Santa hat reading a book by the fireplace, relaxing and using all PTO before project deadline.

Image credits: fodelwdc / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

But Christmas came early for one employee when he maliciously complied with a new PTO policy at the expense of his company

Employee uses all PTO before deadline while project crashes in a demanding corporate job with tight deadlines and many meetings.

Text excerpt from an email shown on a screen, discussing urgent HR message about employee PTO usage deadline.

Reminder notice about using all unused PTO before December 31 to avoid losing remaining paid time off days.

Text on a white background reading no exceptions, no flexibility, no consideration for project timelines.

Text describing an employee using all PTO days before the deadline to comply with company policy on paid time off.

Text excerpt describing an employee using all PTO before deadline during a chaotic project cycle.

Two employees having a serious discussion in a modern office about using all PTO before the deadline and project issues.

Image credits: Yura Timoshenko / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Text excerpt describing a manager named Rob approaching an employee in mild panic about project issues.

Text conversation showing employee discussing using all PTO before deadline despite project needing all hands on deck.

Text screenshot showing a conversation about an employee using all PTO days as required before the deadline.

Text on screen displaying a question about escalating an issue to HR and referencing HR's reply.

Text image showing a message about PTO policy and manager responsibility for planning employee availability.

Employee uses all PTO before deadline, watches project crash while enjoying stress-free holiday with hot chocolate.

Text excerpt describing a project barely delivered, team exhaustion, and an employee following HR rules after using all PTO.

Stressed employee at desk with hands on face, working late on computer after using all PTO before project deadline.

Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Text image showing a moral about using all PTO before deadline and watching a project crash from a vacation cabin.

Image credits: jessicasergey

55% of American workers don’t use all of their annual paid time off because of “corporate culture”

More than half of Americans do not use their allotted paid time off. That’s according to the U.S. Travel Association, which revealed that in 2018, 768 million vacation days went unused across the country. The association blames North American “corporate culture” or the belief that taking too much time off is harmful to one’s career, or potential for professional advancement.

But experts say rest and relaxation is critical not only for workers, but for their companies too. “Offering a strong paid time off (PTO) policy is not only a benefit but also a strategic need for companies looking to draw and keep top personnel in today’s competitive employment market. In addition to fostering work-life balance and employee satisfaction, a well-crafted PTO strategy also boosts overall productivity and organizational success,” explains the OrangeHRM site.

Paid time off encompasses a variety of paid leave types offered by employers and can include vacation time, sick leave, personal leave and holidays, notes career platform Indeed. When employees don’t use all of their allotted PTO within a certain timeframe, it can result in accrued time off.

“Accrued time off is a type of PTO policy where employees earn their paid time off based on how many working hours they’ve put in,” explains Indeed, adding that employees can accrue PTO on an hourly, weekly, biweekly, monthly or per pay period basis. “Accrued time off differs from lump sum PTO in that a company calculates how much time an employee can take off per year by the amount of time they work.”

Employees can either use their PTO throughout the year, carry it over to the next year, or receive a payout, depending on company policy. “In some states, when PTO accrues, it is considered part of an employee’s wages, and you cannot legally deny them this compensation by failing to pay out or roll over the PTO to another year if it’s unused,” warns Indeed.

While some companies prefer a “use it or lose it” PTO policy, this isn’t always effective. It might motivate employees to take their time off before the end of the year, notes Indeed, but it can be demoralizing in some cases. “If employees are too busy working hard to take their time off and then lose out on that accrued leave at the end of the year, they are likely to feel overworked,” reads the site.

One way for companies to deal with unused PTO is to convert accrual to benefits or incentives at the end of a calendar year. This gives staff a way to benefit from the paid time off, even if they are too busy to take a vacation.

“Allowing employees to take their accrued PTO on a year-end paycheck or put it toward debt such as student loans ensures nobody misses out on the perks of a PTO accrual program,” Indeed suggests.

“Self-care or suffer”: people praised HR for taking that stance

Comment criticizing unrealistic deadlines as employee uses all PTO before project deadline causes slowdown and project crash.

Comment highlighting the importance of using PTO before deadlines and balancing work with personal life.

Screenshot of online discussion about employee using all PTO days before deadline and project crash consequences.

Comment highlighting poor management and the importance of ensuring employees use their PTO responsibly before project deadlines.

Comment about losing PTO and its legality, discussing employee use of PTO before deadline concerns.

Comment on Reddit thread about employee using all PTO before deadline and project issues, discussing HR and management roles.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment saying HR did you a solid in response to employee PTO and project issues discussion.

Employee uses all PTO before deadline, leading to project failure and workplace challenges with time off policies.

Screenshot of an online comment stating HR was the good guy regarding employee PTO use before project issues.

Reddit comment discussing HR rules and managers denying PTO, highlighting issues with PTO use and project deadlines.

Comment text about using 10 days PTO humorously referencing free time and employee time off policies.

Comment discussing strict PTO policy and management ensuring employees use all PTO before deadline to avoid staffing issues.

Screenshot of a user comment discussing HR rules and restrictions on taking PTO despite having 30 days available.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment about using mandatory relaxation as passive resistance in workplace PTO policies.

Comment about HR response defending PTO use and project management issues in a work-related discussion.

Netizens shared their own paid time off struggles in the comments section

Comment about employee using all PTO days before deadline, discussing work holiday policies and impacts on projects.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing employee PTO usage and corporate vacation day policy changes.

Employee uses all PTO before deadline, prioritizing personal time while project faces challenges at work.

“Nothing to brag about”: Some felt the employee was wrong to let their team down

Comment discussing employee using all PTO before deadline and its impact on project and team dynamics.

Comment on employee using all PTO days before deadline, causing project issues and disappointing the team.

Comment discussing employee using all PTO before deadline and impact on team burnout and project outcome.

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