3 Questions To Solve The PTO Puzzle
It’s not that people don’t WANT to take time off; sometimes it can feel like an impossible task.
“Why aren’t people taking PTO?”
It’s a common question, especially within businesses that offer unlimited PTO, and one I think about frequently. So how do we address this?
A few weeks ago I was both proud and horrified when a senior direct report told me to stay away from my team.
I had a week of PTO on my calendar but was throwing around the idea of coming in to help finalize a few items that I felt I was behind on. My direct report told me to hand the items to her and the team would sort them out.
It wasn’t confrontational, but a firm nudge that I needed to be a good example and practice what I’d been preaching. I’m still appreciative of that discussion and as promised, I stayed away.
You are not alone
This is not an uncommon experience with PTO (paid time off). Especially within startups or fast-moving companies, there’s an inherent sense of not wanting to let your teammates down, and taking time off can feel like you’re hurting those around you.
Three questions to consider:
What can go wrong in a week?
Who is actually holding you back?
Does being gone present a new opportunity for someone to stretch their wings?
What can go wrong in a week?
This is one of my favorite questions to toss out there. It’s a question that forces you to explore the lack of redundancies, lack of documentation, or lack of skills that would cause catastrophic failure while you are taking time away.
The Cleveland Browns Very Bad, No Good, But Somehow Great Week
Let’s use the NFL’s Cleveland Browns as an example. Late in the 2020 season, legendary guard Joel Bitonio went down with an injury, forcing backup guard Michael Dunn to start in the AFC Wild Card game.
Dunn then went down with an injury in that game, forcing the Browns to throw “never played an NFL game in my life” Blake Hance into the position. “A guy named Blake” ended up playing just fine even though he was signed a week prior and the Browns went on to win the game.
The backup to the backup came in and to those unfamiliar with the situation, nothing was different. Something went wrong in the week, yet the team was fine.
Think about your team.
If you aren’t there, who can fill in?
If something were to happen to that person, who could hop in and temporarily fill their spot?
Did you answer “no one” to either of those?
If you’re honest with yourself, there’s probably at least one round of backups that can help out if an emergency strikes.
The above is the same principle as the more morbid “bus factor” or “hit by a bus” method of looking at redundancies and backfills. When debating whether it’s okay to take time off, think about what can actually go wrong in a week and either take comfort in knowing your team has your back, or work with your manager to figure out contingency plans.
Who is actually holding you back?
Ask yourself this one out loud — “Who or what is actually holding me back from taking time off?” Say it a couple of times if you need to.
Did you get to an answer?
Sometimes there are internal forces (project deadlines, pressure from managers), and other times there are personal pressures (negative fantasies, fear you will be judged, fear for your job security) that hold you back from taking time off or feeling truly relaxed during that time off.
Which pressures are you feeling?
I’m by no means the king of introspection, but this is a question that only you can answer.
Every situation is different, but toss your thoughts in the comments below to see if we can work through what’s holding you back from taking time off to regenerate.
Let your teammates flex
Taking time away from work provides an opportunity for others to stretch.
One of the biggest questions for managers should be “can my team still function without me if I’m gone?” Referring back to “what can go wrong in a week” what are the areas that fall apart (or that you think fall apart) when you’re not there?
If the answer is “everything” then you’re either a micro-manager or you’ve not done well with teaching your team how to think autonomously. Either way, you need to be better.
Your goal should be to build a team that, when you’re gone understands how to think through problems, how to move projects forward, and how to make tough decisions without you. By setting your team up to accomplish those three categories, you scale yourself, you scale your team, and most importantly, you give yourself a chance to step away.
Please. My Team. I Don’t Trust Them.
I hear some of you saying, “but I don’t trust my folks to not screw something up.”
To which I ask bluntly: “then why did you hire them?”
Obviously, not everything is as black-and-white as this, but seriously, if you don’t trust your team, why?
They are your team. You have the ability to alter your attitude. Once you know the “why” you can go about putting structures (or documentation) in place to assist in decision-making.
Put a logic tree together if you have to, but your team should know how to tackle anything that comes their way without having to check in with you.
In terms of scaling yourself, taking time off as a manager gives other potential leaders on your team a chance to take swings where they otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity. Don’t feel you need to delegate all responsibilities to only one person; you can spread duties out as you see fit. Be clear with expectations to avoid confusion and overlap.
Final Thoughts
There’s no silver bullet here. Each job is unique as is each situation, so the best step forward is to have a very direct conversation with yourself, your manager, or your direct reports to understand what is holding them back. What is preventing them from feeling like they can take time off? From there, continue asking questions to get to the root causes (use the Five Why’s if you have to) to understand what pressures have accumulated, intentional or otherwise, to leave people feeling that way.
Excuses for not taking PTO that we should all challenge
I feel more stressed when I do take time off
I have FOMO and am worried something will happen without me knowing about it
There’s literally just too much to do
Unlimited doesn’t really mean unlimited and I’m worried I’ll take too much time off and get fired
Studies show that everyone agrees taking time off is essential. SHRM noted bosses view taking time off as beneficial because it improves focus and reduces burnout. A Forbes article backs up the health benefits of taking time away from work, citing a greater reduction in the risk of heart attack or stroke. The list of reasons to take some time away goes on and on, but at the end of the day, it starts with you and your team.
List some reasons to not take PTO that you’ve heard recently in the comments below!