‘I can’t lose this job.’ Why employees aren’t taking PTO this holiday season

Employees are so terrified of using their PTO that many are choosing to work during the holidays, even if their office is closed.

Sixty-one percent of employees say they plan on working during the holidays, according to a survey of more than 1,000 full-time employees by Skynova — a business software company. Employees who are planning to work instead of taking time off said it was because they didn’t want to fall behind on work (39%) and are worried about taking too much time off (37%).

But employees have an even deeper fear: around 28% of employees said they won’t use PTO this year because they’re afraid of getting fired or hurting their chances for a promotion.

“There’s a lot of pressure on people in the workforce right now because of the pandemic,” says Melody Kasulis, senior creative strategist at Skynova. “Employers have had to make some grim decisions, whether it’s layoffs or more restrictive PTO policies. But ultimately, employees are going to get burned out.”

Burnout has been rampant among employees during quarantine. The World Health Organization defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” When left unchecked, burnout can lead to serious mental health problems which can end up costing employers $125 to $190 billion in lost productivity and healthcare expenses. Mental health experts say it’s important for employers to encourage their workforce to take time off to maintain resilience — especially during the pandemic.

“Offering flexibility during the workday, encouraging employees to use their PTO when they need a vacation, and providing time off for employees to tend to their mental health can help employees at all levels of a company cope with COVID-19 and other stressors,” said Paul Gionfriddo, president and CEO at Mental Health America, in a previous report.

Read more: How employers can prevent growing rates of burnout during COVID-19

But for many employees, time off is just not an option because of layoffs and stringent new employer policies. Three out of four employees said they were expected to take on more responsibility at work after their company laid off a portion of the workforce. In an effort to maintain productivity with a smaller staff, some employers (30%) placed limits on how many days employees can take off at once — a practice Kasulis says will be detrimental to employee productivity and morale.

“Employee morale is super important to productivity and burnout, but employers using restrictive time off policies could be sacrificing stamina,” she says.

Kasulis says employees have been operating from a place of financial insecurity during the pandemic. Those fears lead to destructive work habits.

“People are thinking about what could happen if they lose their job, and they’re looking to promotions to help build their savings if it does happen,” she says. “So they’re thinking that putting in more hours and not taking time off will help keep them safe.”

Kasulis says she understands that employers may have felt PTO restrictions were necessary to ensure their workforce could handle operating with a smaller staff, but she encourages them to rethink it.

“This whole situation is leading to a nose-to-the-grindstone culture at companies around the country, and that’s not healthy,” she says. “Other than loosening up their policies, the best thing companies can do is lead by example — managers should be taking time off, and encouraging employees to do the same so they feel safe and secure taking time to recharge.”