Tres_Comas

Account Executive

How Much PTO Are You Comfortable Taking? Especially If You Work On A Small Team.

My company has unlimited PTO. It's hard to gauge how much time to take/ask for but I'm getting the sense management is pretty open to suggestions and people taking PTO since we're still shaping the culture of the company. The only question is how much time actually makes sense to take without affecting our productivity or creating more work for my manager/teammates?

Currently apart of a very small sales org (7 AEs across the US, 2 BDRs, 2 SEs), late series A.

✌️ Growing Pains

28 comments

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overheard_sales

Politicker

CEO - Overheard_Sales

3 weeks min. Don't fall into the trap of feeling bad

CaneWolf

Politicker

Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract

Unlimited PTO has shown to be more or less a trap. People average less time on vacation when it's unlimited.

I'm also on a small team but we've all known each other for years and pick up the slack for the others. If you have good enough relationships with the crew, take whatever you want and encourage them to do the same. Otherwise, at least try to take 3 weeks for the sake of your sanity.

softwarebro

Politicker

Sales Director

Use all of it. As a manager, the only time id coach a rep on taking PTO is if it's Q3 and they are at under 50% quota with a questionable pipeline. I never say no to PTO but will remind them of the optics.

Sgt_Trollingham

Valued Contributor

Business Development Director

lol is all of it in an unlimited PTO model just never working? ;) I guess it also depends how comfortable you are with your base salary/missing a month of commission potentially...

softwarebro

Politicker

Sales Director

I totally missed that in the original post. Just disregard the first sentence of my response.

BulkPony

Tycoon

Enterprise Account Executive

I'd agree with the other comments on 3 weeks minimum. If they are going to be offering an unlimited PTO policy then they have to expect people to use it. Never feel bad about taking PTO that the company has allocated for.

slaydie

Big Shot

Account Executive

I understand where you are coming from. I also have unlimited PTO and felt the exact same when I first started at my current company. Our old Head of People advised everyone to take 4 weeks (1/quarter) off however this was rarely followed.

I do think 3-4 weeks is completely fair. This is what I now do - we are double your sales org but still on the smaller side. Everyone has been super happy to take turn being each others OOO contacts. You're not going to be productive if you are burnt out or tired so take the time!

CanIOfferYouANiceEgg

Account Executive

1/quarter is a good recipe for staying sane.

slaydie

Big Shot

Account Executive

Totally agree! I think that is very reasonable

Stringer

Arsonist

SDR

Give 100% when you work. If all you have to offer is 30%, then give 100% of your 30%.

But also, take time off to get your 30% to 100%.

Sgt_Trollingham

Valued Contributor

Business Development Director

I really like that... give 100% of what you actually can give.

Savagedoge

Tycoon

Account Executive

The way I see it, if I'm hitting quota consistently, I go for it. Take it all. Infact, I took. 9 day vacation in March (end of Q1) and still over achieved. Nobody batted an eye.

fuzzy

Notable Contributor

CMO (Chief Meme Officer)

I like to practice "Off-Grid" PTO and "OOP" PTO. Off Grid means dfttm. OOP, out-of-pocket means I'm out, but available if you need to work with me. If a deal is on the line but you're at Disney World, Take the call. If it's an SDR asking if this email looks good, shut that shit off.

beerisforclosers

Politicker

Account Manager

It sounds like you're US based, as am I. Interesting to me when my counterparts in other countries take 2+ weeks at a time, while I struggle with the guilt of asking for a full week away. It's definitely not something we should feel guilty for, but I absolutely struggle with vacation guilt!

I agree with the 3 week minimum. If you figure out how to not feel bad, let me know :)

SgtAE

WR Officer

I try to take my PTO around public holidays so that I'm getting the most value out of my long weekends. Otherwise with COVID i'm waiting for restrictions to ease so that I can take a bit of a longer holiday.

Grant_Horun

Politicker

Account Executive

No reason to feel bad. Its given to your for a reason, to take it. I usually take two long weekend trips - Wednesday - Sunday. And that gives me a healthy balance to keep for late in the year or have paid out

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

I get three weeks and I take every minute of it.

sparta

Good Citizen

Account Executive

I take every PTO they give, as a manager I also took every PTO day I had, if it is unlimited and you are doing youre job well. Take as much as you need. Back to being a manager, as a manager I take as much PTO as I can to show my team that they should too.

looper1010

Celebrated Contributor

Solutions Specialist

3-4 weeks. PTO is baked into your salary - use it or lose it!

IAMAM

Catalyst

SADNESS

Pre-Covid, I took like 6 weeks off per year with unlimited PTO. [EDIT: I was always well above quota.] Lots of that was extended weekends and a couple long trips. That being said, I was probably truly, 100% on PTO for 2 weeks of that. By that, I mean, completely unavailable. The other stuff, long weekends or whatever, I was available if needed to answer questions or send a DocuSign, but not actively working so much.

This past year, I've taken maybe 2-3 weeks off with Covid.

Ilovethehunt

Opinionated

SDR

4 day at a time

CanIOfferYouANiceEgg

Account Executive

When I was in the office full-time, I found I used my PTO for sick days. Days I woke up feeling ill or that my allergies are acting up so bad I couldn't deal with the lights.

Working from home has been an incredible blessing. Need allergy meds, or a good cup of coffee, or slightly dimmer lights on an allergy season day... I'm finally able to save my vacation days to actually spend them with my kids.

I have gotten in the habit of planning my PTO way in advance so we can have real experiences on days off- nights camping, long weekends for regional holidays.

eman

Politicker

Account Executive

1-2 weeks...I just can't justify taking move time off than that while in sales

Grant_Horun

Politicker

Account Executive

If you have PTO use PTO. I have 84hrs waiting to be used and I am about to give myself 3-4 day weekends throughout the summer. Will i still answer sales calls / check my computer occasionally, yes. But PTO is there for you to use. so use it and dont feel guilty.

alexpe2294

Catalyst

Sales Account Manager

All of it! PTOs are there for a reason. + time off improves productivity, creativity, and wellbeing!

Beasthouse

Opinionated

Corporate trainer

as much as i need when i need it burn out is real

Beasthouse

Opinionated

-1

Corporate trainer

its the companies job to account for it and decide if what I need when I need is worth the value I bring on to the table. my job is to bring truck loads of value so its never a question

Beasthouse

Opinionated

-1

Corporate trainer

complete side not but from what I have experienced your company structure is reversed. you might consider having fewer AE's than SDR's in late series A. The salaries are a hindrance and would be better used motivating SDRs to fill 2 AEs calendars. I'd also remove the SDR work from the AEs once they're doing 5 max demos a day then get another AE that way you get super-talented AEs and very active sdrs for less than 7 medium motivated AEs and two overloaded SDRs.

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Tres_Comas

How Much PTO Are You Comfortable Taking? Especially If You Work On A Small Team.

28 comments

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