Why You Should Use All Your PTO

Summer is approaching, and, if you’re like me, you’ve been stockpiling vacation days in case of emergency. (My emergency: it’s 75 and sunny in Michigan, and I must go swim in a lake.) I make a habit of using as many vacation days as I’m allotted each year, because I find it to be restorative personally and professionally.

This is important to me both as a team member and as a leader. An engaged, refreshed mind is a competitive advantage in the workplace, and taking time off helps foster that headspace. One study showed that taking 10 hours of PTO each month was correlated with an 8% improvement in year-end performance, and healthy PTO usage can boost productivity and reduce attrition. Touching grass isn’t just good for your soul, it can be good for your career, if you handle it right.

Preparing for a longer vacation can bring on a weeks-long bout of Sunday scaries before you take off. Here’s how to approach PTO responsibly, to make sure your time off is stress-free for you and for those filling in while you’re offline.

1. Ask in advance. Request PTO as far in advance as possible—at least six weeks out. When picking dates, opt for timing that doesn’t intersect with any big projects or launches that would make your absence especially tricky for you, your team, or your boss.
2. Find your fill-in. Plan to complete timely action items before you go, and delegate the best-suited team members to handle urgent matters, speak to your responsibilities, or pick up any recurring tasks while you’re out. A month in advance, confirm that those people are available to be your backups and start training them and looping them in on important communications and invites.
3. Create a handoff doc. This should include OOO dates, important contacts, the status of any ongoing projects, your key tasks, and who is handling them in your absence. Share with all stakeholders and pin in relevant channels.
4. Automate your re-entry. When you’re back, ask an integrated AI tool like Gemini to scan your calendar, chats, emails, and team channels and send you a summary of what you missed while you were off and a list of pressing tasks to attend to first.

After a week spent away from my computer, I can practically feel my synapses sparking with new energy and ideas. And after a week spent wrangling my two young kids 24/7, I’m usually more than ready to get back to work.

Enjoy your time away.