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Dear Ascend,
When is a good time to take personal time off (PTO) when you start a new job? When I began my current job, a little over five years ago, I was allotted 17 PTO days right off the bat, but I was admittedly a little anxious about the etiquette of it all. As a newbie, I didn’t want to come across as “too bold” and take time off “too soon,” so I waited at least a year before dipping my toe into the PTO pool. On the other hand, I’ve observed new employees take PTO immediately after joining the organization.
I guess I’m stuck in this way of thinking you need to earn credibility to deserve taking PTO. As I write this, that sounds toxic. Please teach me about workplace PTO decorum, particularly when starting out at a new job.
With gratitude,
Scratching My Head
We reached out to Mita Mallick, the head of inclusion, equity, and impact at Carta, to answer the question.
Dear SMH,
Your concern is a valid one! When we start a new job, we are all eager to make a great first impression. We want our boss and our new team members to know they hired the right talent for the role. So, when (and how) to take personal time off or PTO can weigh on our minds. We might think that not taking a vacation is a sign of dedication and loyalty to our jobs. You may also worry that others will perceive you as undetermined, lazy, or easily replaceable.
But the truth is: We all need time off from work and there’s no such thing as “earning” a break.
Remember that paid vacation is a benefit your organization offers. You’re entitled to that. Your relationship with your employer is a transactional one. That means, your company employs your time and energy to produce the results in exchange for certain benefits. Likewise, you should take advantage of the perks your organization can offer to protect your well-being.
If you don’t use it throughout the year, you’ll likely end up with a lot of time off and little or no time left to indulge in rest, recovery, or however, you choose to spend those days. Think of it this way: For you to be productive and motivated at work, you need consistent breaks to take care of your well-being. That’s the purpose of those paid vacation days.
Even so, asking for time off when you’re new can feel uncomfortable or overwhelming. Here are a few situations that you might encounter — and strategies around how to navigate them.
1) You have a vacation planned before you accept a job offer.
Inform your new boss while accepting the offer.
You may have planned a vacation months before taking on a new role. In such a situation, know that it’s perfectly acceptable to share your plans while accepting the offer. Let your boss know when you’re likely to take time off, how long your break will be, and what you can do to ensure smooth onboarding.
Alternatively, you can also let your new boss know as soon as you start — preferably in the first week — about your upcoming plans.
You can say, “I’d planned a trip to visit my grandparents later this summer. I haven’t met them since 2020 when the pandemic hit and I’m really looking forward to spending time together. I’d need three vacation days during the second week of June. Since it’s my first month here, I want to check in with you. I’m committed to ensuring that my work deliverables are on track.”
Be sure to end by reiterating your excitement about the role and your commitment to the company to reassure your boss of your good intentions.
Plan out your work and delegate tasks.
If you have a supportive boss, they will likely understand, especially if you’ve had your vacation on the calendar for a while. Most people understand that these things take time to plan and can be a big financial commitment.
If you have a regular one-on-one meeting with your boss to check in and talk about deliverables, use this time to understand what you can do to cover yourself while you’re out. Are there tasks you need to delegate? Are there a couple of projects you need to prioritize before you leave? Your boss should be able to help guide you.
If you aren’t meeting with your boss regularly, set up a one-on-one to catch up and bring them up to speed. In this case, it can be helpful to come up with a couple of ideas in advance around how you plan to execute your tasks while you’re away.
Finally, if you’re working with a specific team member closely, it will be useful (for you both) to set up a meeting before you leave. Share your upcoming plans, leading with: “I wanted to let you know I’ll be taking a week off next month.”
Follow up by explaining what you plan to do ahead of time to help lighten their load in your absence, and then ask if they might be willing to return the favor when you’re gone: “Given that we’re working on two projects together, I wanted to ask what I can do ahead of time to keep us on track and if I may be able to delegate a couple of things to you in my absence? I will be sure to finish X, Y, and Z before I go, but I may need help with the day-to-day tasks such as A and B. Do you think you’d have the bandwidth to help with those tasks for the three days that I’m out?”
A reasonable teammate will be grateful for the heads up. You’re not the only person in the office who is going to take a vacation this year. When the time comes, your peers will likely need to ask the same of you.
2) You don’t have a pre-planned vacation.
This seems like the situation you’ve been facing. When you don’t have immediate travel or vacation plans, my advice is to use the first 90 days to understand your company’s culture: learn about the leave policies, observe others, and build trust with your manager.
Here’s how to start.
Educate yourself about the company policies.
Some companies offer a specific number of PTO days from the day you join, while others may have unlimited PTO for all employees. In yet other cases, you may accrue a certain number of PTO days every month. In addition to this, more and more companies are now beginning to offer spontaneous employee appreciation days, unlimited sick days, family wellness days, or mental health days. This is being done to recognize and address employee burnout and improve engagement.
When you start a new job, pay attention to what your company’s policies are. The details of your policies should be included in the materials that accompanied your original offer letter. It may also be available in the employee handbook or in your company’s internal website. If you’re unaware or want to learn more, reach out to your manager or the human resources (HR) leader for more details. Learning about these policies will help you feel more confident in requesting time off.
Observe others.
One of the most effective strategies is to pay attention to how others in the organization use their leaves. Ask yourself:
- How often do your team members, as well as your boss, take time off?
- When do you see more people on leave?
- What is the process of covering for colleagues when someone is out?
- How comfortable are your peers, colleagues, and boss about talking about vacations or holidays with one another?
Observing the attitudes and culture around leave policies will give you a sense of how early you need to communicate your leave plans to your boss, who you can reach out to for help, and how often you can take time off without any fear or guilt.
Build trust and rapport with your boss and team.
Another way to ease your anxieties is to spend the first three months of your new job building a foundation of trust with your boss and immediate team members. This means that you show up for meetings on time, ask thoughtful questions during the onboarding process, communicate openly, raise your hand and pitch in when you can, and meet your deliverables.
Even better, use this time to get to know your colleagues on a more personal level: have virtual or in-person lunch or coffee chats, look to discover your mutual interests, and pay attention to what they value. Doing so will help you become a more proactive and helpful teammate.
The goal of building a good rapport with your team isn’t to make yourself “deserving” of a vacation. Rather, it’s to create a genuine connection with people and build a good reputation. If you know that your boss and peers respect your character, it will inevitably ease some of the insecurities you may be feeling about being judged for taking a break. In addition, understanding your team member’s unique working styles will you to support each other in the best ways possible during those times.
Let people know sooner rather than later.
Once you commit to taking a vacation, ensure that you let your manager and team know at least two-three weeks ahead of time. Be considerate to not overlap your leaves with too many other team members and figure out who can cover for you when you’re out. When others are out on vacation, you can also volunteer to cover for them.
3) You work in an “always on” and a “no breaks” culture.
Recognize that it’s them, not you.
Even if you notice that your manager, team, or the overall company culture isn’t very supportive of vacations, know that you have nothing to be guilty or ashamed of. As long as your policy states that you’re entitled to days off, you can and should be able to take them.
If you sense hesitation from your boss upon asking to exercise the benefits granted to you, don’t be afraid to make your case. You can say, “Taking this time off is important to me since I haven’t seen my family for over two years now. Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable with it? What concerns do you have that I could help address for you and the team? I would really appreciate your support.”
We’ve all seen the loss and grief that most of us have endured during the pandemic — with companies being pushed to include more inclusive leave policies such as bereavement leaves, extended sick days, caregiving and wellness days, and childcare leaves. Should an emergency arrive, remind yourself that taking a holiday to look after yourself or your loved ones doesn’t make you disengaged or unmotivated at work.
Rather, asking for the time you deserve is a sign that you recognize and appreciate the things (and people) that are important to help you work better: your health, your family, and most importantly, yourself.