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SaaS

Enterprise Account Executive - Strategic Accounts

Valued Contributor
Member
Fire Starter
+1

Manager Shames my PTO use

I work for a really large SAAS company, fortune 50 customers. We have unlimited PTO.


I'm the number person on my team and lately the 'perspective' from a few account directors I support, is that I'm on vacation too much. I'm tracking towards 150% for the year, one large deal left to close that's in procurement. I've had 24 days of PTO this year, over half of which I've worked during.


Any advice on how to navigate this conversation with my manager? Worth noting he's a first time manager.

โ˜๏ธ Software Tech
๐Ÿค— Self-care
๐Ÿ˜ค Conflict Resolution
24

26 comments

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butwhy
Politicker
24
Solutions Engineer
Yeah, this might be one of those "coaching up" moments for your manager. I would lay out all these facts - "I am overperforming my metrics, my work is excellent, and I stayed engaged during my PTO already taken. What is your concern about me taking part in the unlimited PTO generously given to us? What metrics do you want me to keep an eye on?" Something like that. This is dumb, you should be able to do whatever tf you want if you are performing.
jefe
Arsonist
6
๐Ÿ
Great advice
jefe
Arsonist
19
๐Ÿ
This is why I'm not a fan of unlimited PTO. You can't have that policy and then pull this shit, especially on a/the top performer.

Just ridiculous.
salesdetroit
Politicker
4
Director
Iโ€™ve consistently taken less PTO in the years that Iโ€™ve had โ€œunlimitedโ€ PTO than when it was โ€œearnedโ€. Unlimited PTO is just an HR marketing tactic for most companies IMO.
jefe
Arsonist
3
๐Ÿ
It's 100% a marketing tactic. And from what I understand that's common. Such a ruse
SiliconBBQ
Politicker
3
The Metal Rooster
It's not even just a marketing tactic. It's a way they can reduce their liability to you. Pto is earned and payable leave when you have a determined amount. That amount has to be paid out upon exit.

That's also why companies won't let you rack up days and accrue it y-o-y even if your workload doesn't allow time off. It's a way for companies to limit expenses incurred and liabilities.
Coffee_is_for_closers
Opinionated
1
Product & Solutions Specialist
Itโ€™s proven that statistically employees with unlimited PTO work more than employees with set PTO limits. Total scam
CuriousFox
WR Officer
12
๐ŸฆŠ
You can't be shamed if you don't give a fuck ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ
SaaS
Valued Contributor
4
Enterprise Account Executive - Strategic Accounts
agreed. He put it in an email and referenced that we spoke about it in a 1:1.
Though I do find it hilarious that he'd send that to a person who has unlimited PTO. Wonder how HR would respond if they saw that later on (not planning on sharing that now, that'd be stupid)
nomdeguerre
Executive
7
Account executive
What everyone else said and just want to add that unlimited PTO is a scam invented by finance people. The reason they did it is that if you have a set of guaranteed PTO days then you can typically roll at least some of them over year over year and accumulate them. Then at some point they can even end out having to pay out unused PTO. But if you have โ€œunlimitedโ€ then you can a roll them over or save them up, so guess what youโ€™ll always have zero PTO days in your โ€œsavingsโ€ and theyโ€™ll never have to any out.

Nothing but a scam marketed as a benefit.
SaaSsy
Politicker
4
AE
Total BS - what salesperson ever truly doesnโ€™t work? Last deal I closed on a boat at 9 pm partying my balls off. Pto shouldnโ€™t even matter - weโ€™re adults, manage your time, close deals, rinse, repeat.
TennisandSales
Politicker
4
Head Of Sales
Yes. ive had this same thing happen.

Set up a 1 on 1, and bring it up.

Just say " i know you have made some comments about my PTO, am I doing something wrong in your eyes?"

then the manager can hopefully share their thoughts.

Im willing to BET, they WISH they would take more PTO but they are afraid to for some reason, and when they see you doing what they want to do, they get jealous haha.
woodswanderer
0
CEO
Totally agree with this advice. Making it an explicit conversation where you bring it up gives you a much better chance of understanding what their real concern is and then either addressing it or deciding if you'd rather take your 150% performance elsewhere
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
3
Bravado's Resident Asshole
I have not had the chance to work with a company with unlimited PTO, but I have always had this particular reservation on it. If someone on my team was consistently pulling their weight and then some, they should be able to take the time they want off.
Notmyrealname
Politicker
3
AE
Tell them to fuck off. Minimum pto in Ireland is 20 days a year. In Germany its 26. You're not exactly slacking.
GDO
Politicker
2
BDM
Tell them these figures. Also take your days without using PTO.
bassinshaps
Politicker
2
Territory Sales Manager
LMAO
I have 2 weeks of PTO but my boss is letting me work from Dallas for a week because I have two consecutive weddings out there.
Our company is in CA and I sell tangible goods.
I guess I have it good.
angelalu
Fire Starter
2
Senior Business Development Manager
Unlimited PTO is a double sword
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
1
Sales Rep
When is your FY? Have you used 24 days in 8 months? What is the team % at?

If you have used 24 in 8 months you are tracking like 40 days. If the team isnโ€™t at the number I can see the new manager being under pressure and being opposed to it.
DungeonsNDemos
Big Shot
1
Rolling 20's all day
That sucks to hear. Does no one else at your company take PTO? Why is your boss bringing this up if you're at 150%?
SaaS
Valued Contributor
1
Enterprise Account Executive - Strategic Accounts
Really just feedback from my ecosystem and his inability to manage up. My assumption is once this deal in procurement closes, *poof* he doesn't care anymore.
And i know one other person who takes more than me, otherwise a lot of people seem afraid to.
I_LOVE_WINE
Executive
1
Enterprise AE
unlimited PTO is one of the biggest shams that tech companies created. +1 on @butwhyadvice.
FranchiseSalesQB
Politicker
1
Franchise Sales QB
I bet they say, If you didn't take so much PTO you could hit 200%. Am I close? OH! and way to toot your horn, "large SaaS co" "fortune 50 customers" We're supposed to modest as sales peeps, right?
TheOverTaker
Politicker
1
Senior Account Executive
Unlimited PTO is a scam for the most part. People always pull that shit. If you're peforming you should be able to take off as much time as you want and NOT work while doing it
payton_pritchard
Executive
1
RSM
Are account directors and your manager the same person/role or two separate groups? If separate I'm not sure how formally you would need to address it with your manager unless they feel the same way.

Unlimited PTO is a scam, but it does seem like you're on pace for a lot of days off by year end. As others have already said, it seems like a good strategy would be to bring it up, mention you've heard some people are upset, highlight your success and that your PTO hasn't been true PTO and you've stayed engaged and working. All in all congrats on 150%!
Gasty
Notable Contributor
1
War Room Community Manager
oh man. unlimited PTO is such a scam.

Are things better now @SaaS?

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