💥How Companies Use Unlimited PTO to Keep You Working More

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Hey there, vacation-deprived warriors,

Ever been handed a “perk” that somehow feels like homework?

That’s Unlimited PTO. On paper, it’s the workplace equivalent of a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. In reality, you’re one bad Slack status away from HR “just checking in” on your workload.

The numbers aren’t lying: as of June 2025, only 2.9% of U.S. job postings still offer Unlimited PTO, down from 8.8% in 2022 (Morningstar, 2025; MarketWatch, 2025). That’s a more than 200% drop in just three years. Ironically, when people figure out that shiny perk actually means “less time off,” the PR wears thin.

🧨 THE RANT

“Take as much time as you need.”
“We mean it.”

Unlimited PTO is corporate gaslighting dressed in yoga pants. The playbook is simple: announce “flexibility,” then quietly track who’s using it. Workers on Unlimited PTO take an average of 13 days off per year, compared to 15 days for those with fixed plans (Namely, 2024). Some surveys report only 10 days (Joblist, 2025). Why? Because no limit means no safety net, you assume the floor is lava.

Leadership rarely takes long breaks, so the unspoken rule becomes… “You can go, but your projects will still multiply in your absence.” And in some states, there’s a bigger sting, if you’re fired, employers aren’t legally required to pay out any accrued PTO if the policy is unlimited (PTO Exchange, 2025).

Translation? 

That “flexible benefit” is also a cost-cutting tool.

In essence, it’s a psychological trap. There’s no structure, no benchmarks, no guarantee your job won’t feel shakier when you return. With no set limit, every day off feels like a negotiation with your reputation. You second-guess every request. You cut trips short. You post “still checking email” selfies from the beach like hostage proof-of-life photos.

 And the cruelest part? 

You still feel behind.

Truth Be Told…

The real danger isn’t that you can’t take time, it’s that most won’t.

So companies get to brag about “trust-based leave” while watching burnout bloom like a toxic office plant no one waters. And because there’s no official allotment, they never have to “approve” time you didn’t take or “pay out” unused days, especially in those states where the law lets them walk away without cutting you a check.

📊 DATA THEY HOPE YOU IGNORE

Translation?
The freedom is fake. It’s a performance test disguised as a perk. You’re stuck between wanting rest and not wanting to be that person who “abuses it,” and by “abuse,” they mean “uses it.”

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💬 Real Talk

This is the part of Unlimited PTO nobody wants to admit out loud.

When there’s no structure, there’s no protection.

You end up with a policy that exists on paper but is policed by culture.

If no one takes time off, you won’t either, not without worrying it’ll come back to haunt you. The expectation to keep everything “aligned” and “covered” isn’t support, it’s pressure disguised as process.

And that’s the problem.

A benefit that’s supposed to offer freedom only works if leadership models it and reinforces that rest is safe. Without that, every day you’re “free” to take is another day you’re free to question whether you should.

Which brings us to…

💡 POWER MOVES OF THE WEEK

If you’re getting vague pushback on PTO requests, met with “we’ll see,” or subtly warned about timing, you’re not overthinking it.

Use language that makes your boundaries clear, locks in your plans, and shows you’re managing your workload responsibly, not asking for permission to exist.

Treat this as a script, not a suggestion. You’re not angling for approval, you’re demonstrating you’ve got it handled.