PTO and the death of America's summer vacation

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/02/10/disappearing-vacation-days/

This article amuses me. It states that Americans earn more vacation time now than they did in the past, then points at the rise of PTO vs vacation/sick days as to why there is a reluctance to take longer vacations.

But I'm pretty sure for most employers when they switched to PTO, the sum of your vacation and sick days did not equaly your new PTO total. They combined them, but shrunk the total! So technically we don't have less "vacation" but we certainly have seen leave balances degrease over the last 30 years.

Of course, then you have unlimited, or zero balance vacation policies as I like to call them....

[Anonymous]

Comments also mention the increase in two income households; which meant before days off like sick days were handled by SAHM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/02/10/disappearing-vacation-days/

This article amuses me. It states that Americans earn more vacation time now than they did in the past, then points at the rise of PTO vs vacation/sick days as to why there is a reluctance to take longer vacations.

But I'm pretty sure for most employers when they switched to PTO, the sum of your vacation and sick days did not equaly your new PTO total. They combined them, but shrunk the total! So technically we don't have less "vacation" but we certainly have seen leave balances degrease over the last 30 years.

Of course, then you have unlimited, or zero balance vacation policies as I like to call them....

Where are you reading that combining sick and vacation reduced the total?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/02/10/disappearing-vacation-days/

This article amuses me. It states that Americans earn more vacation time now than they did in the past, then points at the rise of PTO vs vacation/sick days as to why there is a reluctance to take longer vacations.

But I'm pretty sure for most employers when they switched to PTO, the sum of your vacation and sick days did not equaly your new PTO total. They combined them, but shrunk the total! So technically we don't have less "vacation" but we certainly have seen leave balances degrease over the last 30 years.

Of course, then you have unlimited, or zero balance vacation policies as I like to call them....

Where are you reading that combining sick and vacation reduced the total?

That was part of my question. Article did NOT state that, but from my experience that was what I've seen.

[Anonymous]

Something that isn't always used in the totals is that a lot of workplaces used to close for the week between Christmas and new years. And for another week sometime in the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/02/10/disappearing-vacation-days/

This article amuses me. It states that Americans earn more vacation time now than they did in the past, then points at the rise of PTO vs vacation/sick days as to why there is a reluctance to take longer vacations.

But I'm pretty sure for most employers when they switched to PTO, the sum of your vacation and sick days did not equaly your new PTO total. They combined them, but shrunk the total! So technically we don't have less "vacation" but we certainly have seen leave balances degrease over the last 30 years.

Of course, then you have unlimited, or zero balance vacation policies as I like to call them....

Where are you reading that combining sick and vacation reduced the total?

That was part of my question. Article did NOT state that, but from my experience that was what I've seen.

That was not the case for the company that I worked for in the past. I had 4/1 weeks and that went to 5 pto.

The company I'm with now has it separate and I'm at 4 and 1. We are allowed to accrue up to twice our annual vacation at any given time so once you hit 8 weeks, you are use or lose.

[Anonymous]

We haven't taken a vacation in years due to covid/health issues. Sometimes it isn't what you think. We have no plans to take a vacation any time soon either.

[Anonymous]

I'm a professional but only get 10 days of PTO that are use or lose every year. I end up saving a chunk of my PTO to cover December illnesses. I never know if we'll get sick, so then I end up losing days most years. It's an awful policy.

I also earn PTO as I go, so I start January with zero PTO and get my first allotment at the end of January. I can't take a week of vacation until several months into the year. No warm destinations in February for me.

[Anonymous]

I read the article quickly yesterday. From what I recall, I think the author missed the boat by not mentioning the reason many two-income families, including mine, don't take summer vacations - the number of school days off. People have no leave left between illnesses and the many school breaks and days off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professional but only get 10 days of PTO that are use or lose every year. I end up saving a chunk of my PTO to cover December illnesses. I never know if we'll get sick, so then I end up losing days most years. It's an awful policy.

I also earn PTO as I go, so I start January with zero PTO and get my first allotment at the end of January. I can't take a week of vacation until several months into the year. No warm destinations in February for me.

This policy is not very employee-friendly. Is it worth working at this place?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read the article quickly yesterday. From what I recall, I think the author missed the boat by not mentioning the reason many two-income families, including mine, don't take summer vacations - the number of school days off. People have no leave left between illnesses and the many school breaks and days off.

Bingo! Much easier to arrange for summer camps then the occasional professional devt days and weeklong breaks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/02/10/disappearing-vacation-days/

This article amuses me. It states that Americans earn more vacation time now than they did in the past, then points at the rise of PTO vs vacation/sick days as to why there is a reluctance to take longer vacations.

But I'm pretty sure for most employers when they switched to PTO, the sum of your vacation and sick days did not equaly your new PTO total. They combined them, but shrunk the total! So technically we don't have less "vacation" but we certainly have seen leave balances degrease over the last 30 years.

Of course, then you have unlimited, or zero balance vacation policies as I like to call them....

Where are you reading that combining sick and vacation reduced the total?

That was part of my question. Article did NOT state that, but from my experience that was what I've seen.

That was not the case for the company that I worked for in the past. I had 4/1 weeks and that went to 5 pto.

The company I'm with now has it separate and I'm at 4 and 1. We are allowed to accrue up to twice our annual vacation at any given time so once you hit 8 weeks, you are use or lose.

That was my experience as well at two places. That’s why I questioned OP’s statement “ But I'm pretty sure for most employers when they switched to PTO, the sum of your vacation and sick days did not equaly your new PTO total.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read the article quickly yesterday. From what I recall, I think the author missed the boat by not mentioning the reason many two-income families, including mine, don't take summer vacations - the number of school days off. People have no leave left between illnesses and the many school breaks and days off.

Bingo! Much easier to arrange for summer camps then the occasional professional devt days and weeklong breaks

+1 And there are more professional days/fake snow days now for local school systems then there were in the 1980s. Of course parents are going to burn their leave covering these days. And as someone pointed out, there is no longer a default SAHP to cover all the sick days. (Generalizing like the article did) In the 80s for many families, dad’s vacation time was just used for vacation. Mom took care of all days the kids were off.

[Anonymous]

I'm a 49 yo professional in DC proper and I get 30 days of PTO per year. That's sick and vacation all together. I use every single minute of it. We are closed December 25- January 2 as well

Two weeks are spent at the beach each summer, than a week in the Fall and a week in the Spring

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a 49 yo professional in DC proper and I get 30 days of PTO per year. That's sick and vacation all together. I use every single minute of it. We are closed December 25- January 2 as well

Two weeks are spent at the beach each summer, than a week in the Fall and a week in the Spring

Where do you work and are you hiring!