Man Argues That Vacation PTO Should Be About Resting — ‘You’re Not A Machine, Your Purpose Isn’t To Enrich A Business’
“If it’s successful, you should come back from vacation being worse at your job.”
Travelpixs / Shutterstock.com If you work full-time, you know that vacation days or PTO are precious and, in most cases, limited.
Countries outside of the U.S. do a much better job prioritizing employee health and well-being by enforcing mandatory time away and paid vacation days doubling, or even tripling, what U.S. companies offer. So, while employees abroad enjoy their lives and maintain a healthy work-life balance, we neglect to take time off entirely or spend the bulk of our vacations stressing about the workload awaiting our return.
In a recent TikTok, Comedian Tom Fell addressed the "joke" of vacations from work and pointed out the attitude we should all start adopting: “Vacation is not to ‘recharge.’ You’re not a machine.”
Tom Fell said employees shouldn't take vacation PTO to recharge for more work.
“You don’t have a battery, and your purpose is not to enrich a business,” he honestly stated in his video. “Taking a vacation shouldn’t be a means to come back better at your job. Time off is meant to rest; actually enjoy your life, and do whatever the [expletive] you want.
Even when employees think they are prioritizing time off for selfish reasons, most are using it to recharge subconsciously so as to not completely fall apart from burnout and stress. Of course, it’s not their fault — it’s entirely the hustle workplace culture we’re all caught up in. A cog in the machine, so to speak.
It’s a mindset corporations and companies profit from. Who are you, if not the high-achieving, career-orientated, serial overachiever you’ve been forced to become? How dare you use your time away from work to consider your own well-being over the welfare of the company you work for?
Considering high levels of burnout and lackluster PTO policies, it’s no surprise that most employees are forced to use their time off to simply recover.
It certainly feels like a sick tyrannical joke. Our employers expect more and more from us without the recognition and compensation required to help us sustain a life outside of work. So, instead of enjoying our lives outside of work, we put more and more hours in, trying to prove that we’re worthy of a raise or promotion.
Sadly, if that raise or promotion comes through, more work gets added to your plate. That means between chores, taking care of your family, or retreating to self-paid therapy to grasp your sanity, your free time for enjoyment is practically non-existent.
Just Life / Shutterstock.com
“Don’t ever let a company convince you that PTO is ‘generous.’ It’s absolutely necessary for living any kind of fulfilling life,” Fell said.
Thankfully, the pursuit of a more balanced life has become, at the very least, a talking point in modern workplaces thanks to growing rates of Gen Zers entering the workforce.
More than other generations, Gen Z is prioritizing fulfillment and happiness in their jobs rather than status, money, and “climbing the corporate ladder.”
Gen Z has opened up a greater discussion about the toxicity of our corporate culture — the same culture that Fell openly made fun of.
“You don’t need to thank your company or be grateful. You don’t have to tell your job where you’re going or why you’re doing it,” Fell said. “You don’t have to check your email or pop into a single meeting. If it’s successful, you should come back from your vacation being worse at your job.”
“The U.S. is the only industrialized nation without federally mandated PTO. Europeans absolutely crush us in the ‘chilling out’ department. We work 110 days more than the average medieval peasant,” he added. “Your company might not ever remember your vacation, but you will.”
While his jokes might feel uncomfortable, hitting a little bit too close to home, the truth is he’s simply stating the facts. We’re often being taken advantage of in our jobs.
Advocating for a more fulfilling life starts with you because if you wait for your employer to help, you’ll be waiting forever.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.