The great paid time off (PTO) debate, here we are again, alas. I’ve read more and more articles about managers “forcing” employees to take PTO to “help” their mental health. Yet,

Sure, a manager can encourage an employee to go on vacation, but PTO amounts are ridiculously low for managers to enforce this. In addition, managers guilt trip employees into being afraid to take time off and accuse those who work extra hours to make up time instead of taking PTO of cheating the system. No wonder we’re in the great resignation!

How often has this happened to you? I recently had a disagreement about PTO. I was “reprimanded” for using the system. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. Here’s what took place:

Whenever I take off more than a day, I generally try to plan around a holiday. I tend to put in my PTO at the end of the week just in case I work extra hours, then I would have less PTO that I’d need to enter. I’ve done this for the last ten years. My new manager did not like this.

She pulled me to the side and told me that if I take days off then I must use PTO. When I explained my process, that’s when she told me “that’s cheating the system.” I wanted to reply with “two weeks of vacation a year when we work 52 weeks is cheating the employee,” but that wouldn’t have been wise if I want to keep a job.

When I told this manager, however, that this is the first time any manager has ever had an issue with me saving PTO and working more hours instead, she told me that it doesn’t matter and I’d need to follow her process.

Needless to say, I am now looking for a new job. There is no way I can condone the absurdity that I and employees like me endure with vacation time.

Have you had this happen? Have you ever had a manager force you to use the full amount of PTO that you requested? Have you had a manager “complain” that you have too much PTO saved and need to use it?

In addition, I don’t feel comfortable or close enough to my manager to be asked where I am going for my vacation. I somehow feel judged about the amount of time I’m taking off when I say I’m not going anywhere and just want the time off. Priority for approval should not be based on where someone is going, it should be based on who requested the time off first.

These are all remnants of toxic workplace culture and bad leadership.