How New Professionals Can Take PTO Without the Guilt

By: Toni Frana, Career Expert for Resumebuilder.com 

As you launch your career, you are likely excited about meeting the team, getting the hang of your role, and settling into the day-to-day of professional life. However, navigating a new job and its expectations also includes learning to navigate the benefits offered as well. When you accepted your new position, certain benefits, like PTO, were part of the compensation package, but you aren’t sure how or if you should use them. You want to prove yourself and show you are committed and worry that taking time off will send the wrong message. 

This feeling is not one that’s unique to Gen Z workers. Recent data from ResumeBuilder.com, an easy-to-use online resume builder, suggests a broad workplace concern around employees feeling that using their PTO benefit could make them appear less dedicated. However, new professionals do not need to hide from using their workplace benefits. Instead, learning more about expectations around PTO and how it impacts your team, what systems are in place to ensure coverage, will help balance using this benefit while minimizing disruptions. 

Why PTO feels complicated at a first job

Beginning a new role will have a learning curve not only around expectations of the job, but also learning about the culture of the company. It’s normal to not know everything about the formal PTO process at a company. It will be necessary to figure out the smaller team’s informal expectations when someone is out of the office as well. For example, is there an expectation of checking in or checking email when on PTO, or is the expectation to be completely offline during a break? It may seem like others do not use their PTO which may make you question if you can or should use yours. It’s not uncommon to think it could impact you negatively, until you have a better understanding of the larger company workings and your own team’s expectations.

All of these questions and concerns are reasonable for any employee, especially as you are starting your career. Gathering information from peers, your manager, your original job offer, the employee handbook, and team calendar will help you make more informed decisions around PTO practices rather than taking a guess. Instead of assuming things work by only observing the ‘busiest’ people on the team, and then making your decision on whether to take time away or not, asking how the process works in practice will be much more informative.

How to ask for PTO confidently

After some time passes and you’ve been in your new role for awhile, there should be a more clear understanding of how the benefit works. Being confident in how you ask for time off will be easier. Think about it in terms of a simple formula. When asking for any time away, you’ll want to provide: 

• Dates out of the office
• Advanced notice
• A work plan for when you are out
• Any coverage issues you anticipate

While there may be a digital request requirement, having a conversation with your manager, especially the first time you request to use PTO, can be helpful. You may say something like this: 

I’d like to request PTO from <date> through <date>. Before I leave I’ll make sure to complete <specific task on a deadline> and let <team member> know any issues with current clients or projects before I head out. Is there anything else that would be helpful to the team that I could prepare before submitting my request?

It isn’t required to share what you are doing or where you are going for the dates requested off. Simply being courteous and informative around your plan before submitting the time off will be immensely helpful to a manager. 

Here are some additional talking points for specific situations you may encounter when you’d like to request time off:

Requesting time off shortly after starting:

We spoke about this briefly during the interview, I do have a previously scheduled commitment from <date> to <date>. I wanted to see what I could do to help the team before I am out for a few days. 

Needing time off during a busy period:

I’m hopeful to take PTO during the week of <date>. Which deadlines and projects can I plan around, and what specifically would you like completed before then? 

Asking about the general process to request PTO:

Next month, I’m planning ahead for some PTO. Is there a specific amount of time the team needs as notice? Is there anything I should include with my request?

Establishing trust with your team ahead of time 

Calm any nerves you or your team may have around your vacation time. As a new employee, building credibility happens through preparation. A few strategies before you leave that will help the broader team: 

• Review upcoming deadlines
• Complete urgent work or renegotiate deadlines ahead of time
• Update shared files
• Communicate to the team any important info they may need
• Set an out-of-office message
• Confirm any unresolved issues with their manager

Establishing a plan ahead of time helps ensure the team will be able to handle things in the event an issue arises. Furthermore, you’ll set yourself up for a successful vacation where you won’t have to make yourself available around the clock. If your absence is predictable and manageable, it will be easy for the team while you are out, and easy for you when you return to work. 

Working while on PTO

Each company and each position will operate differently in regard to PTO expectations. This is why having conversations with your manager ahead of time is so important. Clarifying expectations around time off should be the goal. 

The ultimate goal of PTO is to rest, recover, and return energized, and being required to keep the same schedule even when you are out of the office can lead to burnout. This is not ideal for companies or employees. If a manager expects you to monitor your email while out, before you leave, ask them what counts as urgent, how much they expect you to be available, and whether this is consistent with company policy. 

Feeling PTO guilt 

Getting used to taking PTO and truly enjoying time away may take some time. Guilt can creep in, especially if it feels like coworkers or a manager has to carry the workload when you are away. Work to reframe the guilty feelings by reminding yourself you aren’t abandoning your work, you are following a process, carefully preparing the team, and ensuring you are taking your approved time away. 

You don’t need to apologize for using your PTO benefit, checking your email to demonstrate you care, share evidence you are working, or ask your coworkers for reassurance it is fine for you to be away. Plan to check in with your manager before you leave, then handle the approved time away as permission to disconnect. 

Learning how to take a vacation away from work is part of the process of learning how to work. With planning, communication, good judgement and proper boundaries, you’ll be able to use the benefit without guilt while also setting your team up for success when you are away. Taking PTO for the first time is not a test of your commitment, rather a chance to demonstrate your maturity by how you plan for it ahead of time.