‘Burnt Out’ Worker Doesn’t See The Point Of Taking PTO Even Though Her Boss Keeps Encouraging Her To Take It
"Why should I bother taking it in the first place if I’m not actually going to end up relaxed and recharged?"
Depiction Images | Shutterstock When it comes to taking time off from work, many individuals have admitted to struggling with the idea of PTO for various reasons, which was the case for an unnamed worker who admitted that she doesn't usually take time away from her job.
In a post to Alison Green's work-related advice column 'Ask a Manager," the employee questioned if taking a few days off from work was really something that she needed to do after being unconvinced that she would feel any better away from her desk.
She doesn't see the point in taking PTO even though her boss encouraged her to take it.
"I work a customer-service-heavy role, and my manager has been wonderful about encouraging us to take PTO if we’re feeling burnt out. Except … I don’t see the point," she began in her post.
fizkes | Shutterstock
She explained that while she was feeling burnout from working all the time, she didn't feel that taking time off would magically fix the issue and create an environment where she could be productive and satisfied upon returning to the office.
She admitted that her partner works nights, and she either has to pick up the responsibilities for him while he's gone, like taking care of their special needs dog, or she doesn't want to disturb him while he's sleeping once he's home from work.
"I don’t have enough money to take a vacation, solo or not (and even if I did, who will get groceries and take the dog to the vet while I’m gone?), and I’ll come back to everything being worse because my out-of-office messages aren’t read and customers/team members are wondering why no one has replied to them (yes, this has happened before)," she continued.
As it stands, there are countless working-class Americans who feel the mental toll from working constantly.
According to a new report from MyPerfectResume, about 20% of U.S. workers have daily thoughts about quitting their jobs. Around 19% think about their exit weekly, and 22% think about leaving their roles a few times a month.
Many individuals are putting those feelings into action. About 90% of workers have "rage applied" to open positions at least once in the last six months, which seems to be a consequence of burnout.
GaudiLab | Shutterstock
She insisted that taking PTO wouldn't alleviate any of the factors contributing to her exhaustion and, if anything, would make things worse for her when she returned to work after it was over. She recalled that during times when she'd taken a day off for a doctor's appointment, she'd come back to the office and fail to get work done because of it.
"Why should I bother taking it in the first place if I’m not actually going to end up relaxed and recharged?" she questioned. Unfortunately, this worker isn't alone in her apprehension about taking PTO; it seems to be a reoccurring problem for a vast majority of others, too.
A staggering number of workers are afraid of taking time off from work.
From Bankrate's Money and Mental Health survey, nearly 1 in 3 (29%) U.S. adults say work has a negative impact on their mental health, causing symptoms like anxiety, stress, worrisome thoughts, loss of sleep, or depression. Despite the alarming number of people who are experiencing this, there's still a large gap between those who use their PTO.
Only 46% of workers actually take all of their allocated PTO days, according to a March 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center.
Workers who earn PTO from their employer but don’t take it most commonly cite not feeling like they need to take more time off (52%). Other reasons included worrying about falling behind on work, being concerned taking more time off would hurt their chances of a promotion or raise, and feeling bad about their co-workers having to take on additional work.
GaudiLab | Shutterstock
Despite how people look at taking PTO, there is a huge benefit to having time away from the office and work, especially if you're experiencing burnout. It might not seem that way at first, but catering to your mental health should always come first and can lead to higher levels of productivity, satisfaction, and a boost of energy when returning to work.
Work should never be the main priority in a person's life because it can have detrimental effects. We should all strive for quality time with loved ones and friends, time to recharge, and moments outside of work to fulfill our lives as well.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.