New research shows that for some workers, paid time off can be as bad as the "Sunday Scaries."
If you’re like most people, you know the feeling. You want to enjoy your PTO, but the dread of returning to work from time-off can make PTO more stressful than relaxing. With PTO increasing during the holiday season, Monster gauged worker sentiment on an evolving concept the brand identified as “PTO Woes”—the feeling of increased anxiety or stress when returning to work after taking time off. In some ways, “PTO woes” are similar to the new “Sunday Scaries,” according to their research. The holiday season is a big time to take PTO, but new research shows that workers say the anxiety it creates may not be worth it.
The Monster Research
The Monster study, conducted on November 21 of this year, found that the majority (87%) of workers have experienced “PTO Woes.” Almost three quarters (72%) of employees are refraining from requesting PTO as a result. Here are the key findings about why:
- Nearly half (48%) of workers are on understaffed teams with no room to delegate their work.
- Over a quarter (27%) are worried about layoffs and need to avoid taking PTO to show their value.
- Nearly a quarter (23%) of workers say that their managers look down on them for taking time off.
- Most (69%) workers fear returning to a work crisis, with 60% of workers checking their work emails during PTO and 61% having to work longer hours post-PTO to catch up on the work they missed while away.
- A quarter (24%) of employees report that they would rather quit their jobs than take PTO due to the anxiety they face returning to work.
- In fact, 76% say that while on PTO, they daydream about quitting their job upon their return.
- Half would rather have more company-wide holidays.
- 46% prefer flexible working hours rather than taking time off due to “PTO Woes.”
Current economic and labor conditions aren’t helping, according to the survey. As companies and workers continue to struggle with labor shortages and historically low unemployment, it’s no surprise that half (48%) of workers have experienced “PTO Woes” due to working on understaffed teams. Plus, with the state of the economy and record high inflation and costs, over a quarter (27%) of workers are worried about layoffs and feel they need to prove their value and not take time off.
How To Manage ‘PTO Woes’
According to a Monster spokesperson, you can manage “PTO Woes” by doing several things. “First, you may want to start by taking a day or two off, not a week or two. Ease into it to manage the anxiety. Request the PTO and actually take it (even if you're doing a staycation, PTO is PTO! It all matters). This means you're not going to check emails during this time, and you'll be out of sight out of mind. It's not only liberating, it's refreshing and can help you return to work more productive than before the PTO.”
The other step is to tell clients and colleagues who to contact in case of an emergency. And if there's no one to delegate to such as a peer, the spokesperson said, ask your boss to be part of the solution. Determine who can be a point person during your absence. While preparation does take additional time and effort, it's well worth it.
If you're still experiencing increased and anxiety returning to work after taking personal time, the spokesperson suggests giving yourself permission to log on—but briefly. And set strict boundaries such as checking emails for one hour the night before you return to work. The Monster spokesperson cautions that if you're still experiencing the anxiety and stress and you're not even requesting PTO, there could be bigger issues—perhaps the industry and/or company are not a fit. Or they're not in alignment with a valuable piece of your professional life which includes the right to have a life outside of work. “It's a red flag if your company does not support taking PTO and/or admonishes, punishes, blames, and shames employees for taking it, the Monster spokesperson says. “There are plenty of companies that support wellness and encourage and promote taking valuable, hard-earned time off from work.”
How Employers Can Encourage Work-Life Balance
Employers should lead by example in a variety of ways, the Monster spokesperson told me. “Leaders can take PTO and remain accountable to boundaries—PTO doesn't mean checking emails hourly or throughout the day. PTO means time off from work, regardless of where you work. Managers can also encourage workers to take PTO and suggest they take time off during the holidays to refresh and rejuvenate. They can create a culture that supports taking PTO and doesn't demand workers check in while they're out of the office, perhaps delegating back up colleagues to fill in and making that a give-and-take reciprocal relationship.”
Monster's poll shows that nearly half of workers are understaffed and don't have anyone to delegate work to. Monster suggests that readers can say something like, "I realize there's no room to delegate work, but please take even two days off during the holidays. Our company won't collapse and the work will be there waiting for you when you return." Plus, over a quarter (27%) are worried about layoffs, and they avoid taking PTO to show their value to the company. The spokesperson advises bosses to say something like: "We realize you may be nervous about layoffs and want to show your value, but the true value is you. You're a top priority and taking PTO is not a liability, rather it's an asset."
The nearly quarter of workers in the poll who said their managers look down on them for taking time off, may want to look at the big picture and the exit door, the spokesperson concluded. “If your manager and employer are not supportive of taking PTO, especially during the holidays when you're focused on family, it's an opportunity to look for a new job with an employer that does value it.”
