It can often feel like it takes ages to accumulate paid time off. If I just work one more week, I’ll rack up .2 days of vacation! PTO is valuable, and I’m assuming that there’s nothing I could say or do to get you to forfeit those days you’ve worked hard for.

But what if a colleague who had used all of their vacation days was suddenly in a terrible accident? Well, according to one woman, that is the company’s problem, not the responsibility of employees. Below, you’ll find a story that was posted on r/Antiwork detailing how a boss decided to ask workers for donations rather than simply providing more PTO to an employee in need, as well as a conversation with Lars Lofgren, CEO of HR Advice.

Employees usually cherish the small amount of paid time off that they have

Image credits: Yan Krukau / Pexels (not the actual photo)

So this woman was furious when her boss asked workers to donate PTO to an injured colleague

Image credits: KateDoe7

Image credits: Marc Mueller / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Nearly one third of workers in the United States don’t have access to paid time off at all

While we sit at our desks for 40 hours a week and stare out the window during our lunch breaks, it’s safe to assume that many of us are looking forward to the next time we get to have a day off. Every Friday, I’m thrilled about the impending weekend, and whenever I have a slow moment in the office, my mind starts to drift off to the next trip that I have planned. Even if that vacation is 4 months away, it’s on my mind!

So it’s understandable that many of us are territorial about our paid time off. You’ve worked hard to earn those days, and you deserve to take a much needed break. And most of us don’t have nearly as many vacation days as we would like. According to Forbes, almost one third of employees in the United States don’t have access to PTO at all, and even among those who do, the allotted amount can vary widely.

Employees working in the private sector tend to earn an average of 11 paid days off per year, but this number can increase after employees have stayed at the same company for five or ten years. Sick days also tend to increase after an employee has been at one company for several years, but on average, full-time employees can take 8 days off each year for being ill. 

Image credits: Christina Morillo / Pexels (not the actual photo)

“The main issue is that employees will always feel pressured to donate, even if they can’t”

If you’re extremely lucky, your employer might even provide unlimited PTO. But this is rare, as only 4% of companies in the United States do so, Forbes reports. However, over two thirds of employees say that they would be interested in having more, or even unlimited, PTO, so companies are starting to become a little more generous. In fact, job postings mentioning unlimited PTO shot up 178% between 2015 and 2019 in the States. 

But one issue many employees have with their company’s PTO policy is when sick days and vacation days have to be taken from the same pool. The woman who shared this story on Reddit mentioned that is the case where she works, and this can often put employees in stressful situations when they’ve been hit with an unexpected diagnosis or a sudden injury.

To gain more insight into this topic, we got in touch with Lars Lofgren, CEO of HR Advice, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. First, we wanted to know if Lars believes it’s ever appropriate for companies to ask employees to donate PTO.

“Not at all, it’s extremely inappropriate,” he shared. “The main issue is that employees will always feel pressured to donate, even if they can’t. A request from a boss or management is extremely difficult to turn down. So then employees donate their PTO and don’t have enough PTO to handle their own needs. When they get sick or have an emergency, they won’t have the PTO they need to manage it,” Lars explained.

We were also curious what the HR expert would recommend companies do instead. “For my companies, I’ve always had HR handle emergencies on a case by case basis. Of course, allow the employee to use all their PTO if they wish, as well as any other standard leave policies that may apply,” Lars told Bored Panda.

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Image credits: fauxels / Pexels (not the actual photo)

“It is management’s responsibility to figure out how to support an employee in crisis; it is not the responsibility of other employees”

“If that’s not enough, management and HR should have a discussion to decide what to do. Giving out additional PTO is an option. This is why I like PTO accrual systems, you can give extra PTO and the accrued balance goes negative,” he added. “The employee keeps earning PTO like normal and will eventually have a positive balance that they can use again. This is fair to everyone (no one is getting extra PTO) and allows the employee to handle their emergency. But for a true emergency, I would consider offering more PTO than standard to help the employee.”

And if your boss is asking you to donate PTO, Lars says it’s best to refuse. “Simply state that you have upcoming plans for your PTO that can’t be changed. I think PTO donations are a horrible PTO practice and no one should ever feel pressured to donate their PTO,” he shared. “It is management’s responsibility to figure out how to support an employee in crisis; it is not the responsibility of other employees.”

“If someone wants to help, help like a friend. Offer to provide a bunch of cooked meals, run some errands, provide rides, or just listen and validate that person’s experience,” the expert continued. “Provide the help that management can’t provide, while also respecting your own boundaries.”

“PTO donations are a terrible practice. Full stop. I don’t believe there’s any nuance, there’s only downside. No HR or management team should adopt them,” Lars added.

We would love to hear your thoughts about this situation in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever been asked to donate PTO? Then, if you’re looking for another Bored Panda article discussing anti-work themes, look no further than right here! 

Readers were appalled by the company’s suggestion, and many shared advice for how to respond

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Lots of readers had also experienced similar frustrations at work

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