If your team isn’t taking time off, your mission is running on fumes.

We recently wrote about conducting a midyear PTO audit to see who’s actually unplugging. If the results were lackluster, it might be time to rethink how you talk about, plan for, *model*, and support rest.

Are you thinking about PTO the ‘old school’ way?

Historically, PTO has been treated like a perk or reward you earned by working really hard — generally taken in large chunks, often for a big trip which seemed to justify it. This mindset breeds guilt and burnout.

This is still common in many organizations, but the highest functioning workplaces are implementing a people-first approach that recognizes time off as a core component of sustainable work. Within this approach, smaller, more flexible and frequent periods of time off are seen as healthy and are supported, and it encourages different types of time off and treats PTO as necessary maintenance.

Time off can look like:

Mental health days
Caregiving support
Midweek breathers
Staycations or no-plans days

Practical ways to make time off work for everyone

Want people to actually use their PTO without having to grapple with anxiety? You need to build systems that make it possible, and keep things running smoothly while people are away.

Here are a few things to consider:

Prioritization clarity: Help teams distinguish between what’s urgent, important, and what can wait, so that they can step away without fear that things will fall apart.
Coverage plans that are realistic: Encourage teams to document key workflows and cross-train where possible. When someone’s out of office, others can cover for them confidently — without scrambling.
Transparent communication about capacity: If someone is covering for a teammate, make that visible. Set boundaries around additional work and show appreciation. Shared workload ≠ invisible labor.

Leaders, you go first!

You can’t expect your team to take PTO if you aren’t! Modelling using PTO lets people know that it is okay to do, and that they are safe to take time when they need to. Talk openly about time off and use positive language when speaking about team members taking time away.

For example, our Principal Consultant, Tiffany, once saw a company president start an all-hands call with "I'm taking family leave to care for my father after his surgery.” That leader didn't have to share those details — time off does not need to be justified — but this deliberate visibility sent an important signal to the entire org.

The Signal: Caregiving is a valid reason for time off. Even senior leaders need time away, and there's no shame in being open about that. And finally, rest is not a weakness.

Can unlimited PTO solve infrastructure or culture issues?

Spoiler alert: Unlimited vacation sounds progressive, but it actually rarely moves the needle. Most people with unlimited PTO take the same or fewer days off, not more.

Ultimately, unlimited PTO policies can't fix any underlying culture roadblocks. You need a deeper infrastructure shift to support people in feeling safe enough to take time away, so start there instead of trying to change your policies.

Rest is more than self-care — it's a collective sustainability strategy

Well-rested teams are happier, more creative, and more committed. You want your team to unplug so they can return to work refreshed and engaged. A sustainable pace beats unsustainable sprints, every time!

When we take an honest look at our internal culture around PTO, we can start to create conditions where people feel secure enough to step away and recharge, take care of personal matters, and return to work as their full selves.

If your team needs help creating the infrastructure and norms that support real rest, let’s talk!

REACH OUT!