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We’ve all seen the “corporate baddies” holding court on TikTok and Instagram, sharing all the ins and outs—some credible, some not so much—of thriving at a 9-to-5. Much of the more positive and dominating themes in career content online are all about reclaiming our time, getting the salaries we deserve, and not letting companies take advantage of us. They’ve also been big on maximizing your PTO, and I’m here for it.


This is a vital subject to tackle on social because professionals are actually wasting their PTO: A recent report indicates that 46% of workers don’t even use the full time their companies give them for a much-needed break. If you’re giving a company your all, you need to take full advantage of the benefits they’ve offered you in your hiring package, so using that PTO is a must. Nobody loves burnout, and to be honest, the best version of yourself is one who is relaxed, balanced, and mentally well enough to take on all the big, ambitious boss moves you’ll be making in 2024.

So, how do you maximize your PTO? Here are a few hacks shared by our favorite career advice influencers on TikTok and Instagram:

@flynanced

Unlimited PTO is one of the best benefits for 9-5 hotties who travel often #unlimitedPTO #travelwitha9to5 #9to5hottie

1. Negotiate for more (or even unlimited) PTO up front.

Cinneah E, founder of Flynanced, a financial literacy platform for 9-to-5ers, noted in an Instagram Reel and via TikTok that she has worked a fully remote job and enjoyed the benefits of unlimited PTO, including traveling on an 8-day vacation in Mexico. If you’re at the stage of negotiations for your current job (or are looking for other opportunities), talk about this early on in the interview process, ask what the company’s policies or limits might be when it comes to PTO, and once you’ve been given an offer, negotiate for either more PTO or unlimited.

2. Stop prioritizing overtime if it's not super-necessary.

Sometimes, taking extra hours is essential, such as when you have a savings goal, you're trying to pay off a debt, you’ve welcomed a new addition to your family, your partner has experienced a job loss, or you’re trying to make a large purchase in the future. However, if none of those apply to you and you want to maximize PTO in 2024, make the effort to decline the OT, even if it’s practicing saying no to an extra hour or two on that day somebody called out.

If you’re doing overtime and overextending yourself due to constantly embracing unhealthy financial habits (i.e., spending down to your last penny or living check to check), or you simply want to seem like the most reliable worker on the team, rethink how valuable your time and wellness is, how you’re using your PTO, and how your choices are contributing to living your best life or being your highest self.

Take a nod from Rhay, a travel influencer, and nurse, who recently posted about her personal policy on taking on overtime and how she sets boundaries to prioritize living her “best life.” She states that she likes to work “smarter not harder,” budgeting her lifestyle in order to “maximize my time off.”

3. Hack your PTO so you can strategically get more time off without losing pay.

Not every PTO opportunity is exclusive to vacations. You might want an extended self-care week, time off to strategize how to boost your side hustle, recover from a medical procedure, or the opportunity to be home to chill with your children or bae. Maybe you need that time for a special home DIY project or time to heal from grief or loss. Professionals have been doing this for years, but for the sake of social, it's a 'hack.'

So, let's say your company's office is closed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, (which in 2024 falls on Monday, Jan. 15). That's a paid day off for you anyway. If you're a 9-to-5er who works the traditional 40-hour work week (Monday through Friday), with this hack, you will take off the Friday before MLK Day, have Saturday and Sunday off, enjoy MLK Day off---extending your time off to four days without losing pay. (If you really wanna flex, you could stretch this to an 8- or 9-day vacation by taking that same Friday off, enjoying the weekend and the holiday, and then taking the whole next week off.

However you use your PTO, it’s good to be able to stretch it when at all necessary or possible, so take a nod from Nikki Moore (above) and try it in a way that works for you, the nature of your job, and your company's policies.

PTO is a valuable benefit your company offers you, and it's something you shouldn't take lightly, so let's make 2024 the Year of PTO where we play as hard as we work, we show up as our best selves after much-needed breaks, and we create the work-life balance we want.

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Featured image by Filadendron/Getty Images

 

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