#WorkMomSays taking your Paid Time Off (PTO) is essential for personal and professional well-being. In this episode, Lori Jo Vest addresses the myth that the office can’t survive without you and emphasizes the importance of stepping away from work. She shares her journey of overcoming the fear of taking time off and highlights the benefits of truly disconnecting.

Discover how using your PTO can enhance creativity, improve health, and prevent burnout. Learn effective strategies for planning and taking your time off without anxiety, and understand why making PTO a non-negotiable part of your work life is a strategic decision for a balanced and fulfilling career.

Time-stamped inflection points from the show

00:40 – Lori reveals her own struggles with not taking PTO despite encouraging her team to do so.

01:57 – Lori’s personal experience of finally taking time off after five years and realizing the sky didn’t fall.

04:41 – Reasons professionals avoid PTO and why these fears are largely unfounded.

06:50 – A reality check: You are valuable but not irreplaceable, and that’s okay.

10:31 – Strategies for using PTO effectively without anxiety, including setting boundaries and planning ahead.

04:13 – “PTO should be non-negotiable, and there’s a reason for it.”

07:03 – “You are valuable to your employer, but you are not irreplaceable, and that’s okay.”

08:03 – “When you don’t take that time off, you’re essentially gifting your employer free labor.”

13:06 – “Taking your paid time off is not slacking. It’s strategic.”

00:12
Hello, I’m Lori Jo Vest. Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of “Work Mom Says: Don’t Be an Idiot!” This episode is for young professionals who think the office will crumble down without them. We’re calling it, “You’re Not That Essential. Use Your PTO.” PTO stands for paid time off, and if you have it, you need to take it.

00:40
And I’ll tell you what I think is really funny. I need this reminder just as much. I was talking to my team about what the next episode should be about, and what came up was “use your time off.” My team that works for me at the digital ad agency that I run with my husband, they know how important I think it is for them to take their PTO. But when it came to me, when they brought that up, I actually said that would mean I’m a hypocrite because I don’t take my time off. Now, my time off isn’t paid as the owner. It’s a whole different thing going on here.

01:17
But what I discovered is that my own fears of being away from my desk or not plugged into our company and what was happening and how I could contribute—I had a lot of fear around that. What if something fell apart while I was gone? But the reality is, it’s really funny, is that I could take a week off, and because we work at home and weren’t going anywhere, if I needed to step in and take care of something, it takes five minutes. It’s not a big deal.

01:57
So before recording this episode, I forced myself to take my five days off. I hadn’t taken five days off in about five years. So how did I do? I did okay. I worked probably most days for just a few minutes, checking in on emails, answering questions, making sure things were flowing like they should, right? I probably shouldn’t have even done that, but baby steps, baby steps.

02:29
And as the owner of a company, this is the first time I’ve ever owned a company, so I’m still learning. And I got through that five days, and nothing fell apart. Nothing happened that was, you know, a terrible mistake. Everything is fine. The clients are still happy. It’s all good. So I am learning what I’m teaching. They say if you want to learn something, teach it, and you’ll learn it that much more.

02:53
So I guess what I’m saying is that if my company can survive without me for a week, and it could have, then your company can survive without you for a week or even two. I mean, sometimes two weeks is a really great extended time to refresh, decompress. When I used to work for other companies, I would say a vacation’s not a vacation until you forget that you work, and that could take a couple of weeks.

03:21
So if you’ve relaxed enough in another country or on a beach or, you know, in the woods, or in, you know, some wonderful place, try to get to the point where you forget that you work, because that’s when you know that you have actually decompressed and rested and become a human being again. Because a lot of us spend our time being human doings. Me in particular, I’ve always got to be doing something, and if I’m not doing something, sometimes I feel like I’m not a productive person. And if you’re not a productive person, you’re not contributing. And oh my God, you know.

03:58
So I’m learning myself that lesson. I’d love you to learn it sooner. As most of my lessons, I prefer that you learn them sooner than I did, so you can have more years of good professional living. So anyway, PTO should be non-negotiable, and there’s a reason for it. It’s good for your health, it’s good for your career, and it’s really, really good for your creativity. Which no matter what field you’re in, one of the things you do when you’re at work is you create, whatever it is that you create, and your unique ideas and contributions will flow much easier when you are rested and refreshed. So remember that. That’s really important.

04:41
So why don’t people take their time off? You know, lots of different reasons. Some of us are afraid, if we take the time off, maybe we forgot to do something before we left, and if they can’t reach us, things will fall apart. People will think I’m lazy, my boss. May think that I would rather hang out with my wife and my kids than, you know, work, which is true, but a lot of us want our bosses to think a certain thing about us and believe certain things. And we may feel that PTO puts some negative things on us. It doesn’t. It really doesn’t.

05:23
If this is a toxic environment that you’re in, and toxic productivity and people working while they’re on vacations is the norm, you may think about going to another company, because your PTO should be important. We could learn a lot from the Europeans. We have a global client, and when they’re on vacation, they are on vacation. In a lot of countries overseas, it is actually illegal for the employer to contact the employee on their time off or their vacation. That would be amazing in the US. We don’t do that here, but maybe we should.

05:58
I used to say when I worked for other people, I worked for a production company in the—I think it was in the 90s, late 90s—and because this was pre a lot of email kind of things, I used to say a vacation wasn’t a vacation until the FedEx truck came. And the FedEx truck typically came at least once to every one of my vacations. When I worked for this organization for five years, it was one of the reasons that I left. The boss was immersed and lived his business, and he really expected you to do the same thing, and that often meant not taking vacation, or not taking time off, or staying late, unexpectedly, all those kinds of things that I would never want my team to do and would never recommend you do. You are entitled to have a life, and when you prioritize having a life, you become a better employee, and a good manager knows that.

06:50
So remember that too. A good manager knows that PTO is critical to keeping their team from getting burned out and unhappy. So just things to remember. So let’s take a minute for a reality check. You are valuable to your employer, but you are not irreplaceable, and that’s okay. What actually will happen if you take your paid time off is people will miss you. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. In a lot of cases, people will understand more clearly the part that you play at the office when you’re not there. Systems will adapt. People will step in. People will find what they need to find. They’ll get what they need to get. And better yet, you will gain perspective.

07:36
You are not being—you are not stealing time from your employer. You are taking something that has been given to you, which is compensation. Paid time off is compensation, and employers use it often to entice people. If you’re at a place getting two weeks vacation, your new employer may say, “Hey, I’ll give you four weeks,” as a way of bringing you into the fold at the new company. It is a benefit. And when you don’t take that time off, you’re essentially gifting your employer free labor, and you don’t need to do that.

08:11
So that’s the reality of it. You are valuable, not irreplaceable, and PTO is a benefit that they are giving to you. You are entitled to it. If you don’t do it, you’re giving your employer free labor. Stick that one up there. Remember it next time you fill out that vacation request form, give it a couple extra days because you deserve it.

08:31
So the benefits of a break are another thing to really look at when you think that maybe you shouldn’t take that time off because taking a break, being refreshed, resting your mind, resting your—you know, your thought process, your brain burns a lot of mental calories when you are working, and it can get tired, and taking time off gives you clarity that you don’t have when you’re just constantly hustling. Taking a break gives you fresh eyes. I think you make better decisions when you get back to the office.

09:09
Not only that, but it’s better for your physical health. Stress reduction. You can get a sleep reset. I know when I took my five days off that I’m just coming back from on Monday, I napped a lot. Oh, my God. Naps are so good for your mental clarity. Just taking a break, shutting down in the middle of the day, and letting your brain rest, letting your body rest. You can do that on vacation. You wouldn’t necessarily do that when you’re working, and it’s good for you.

09:40
So you are also helping yourself avoid burnout when you are constantly hustling, and like I’ve been doing for five years, when you’re constantly hustling, I think the lows are lower. The times when you may feel a little down about your job, or you’re having a really hard day, that hard day may feel harder. Yeah. If you have truly put everything into your job and not enough into your personal life. So that’s another big part of PTO is just you are entitled to a personal life, and if you don’t have one, you will burn out a lot faster. And your lows, I truly believe, from my own personal experience, those lows that are inevitable in careers will be lower because you won’t have the stamina to bounce back like you would if you were truly taking care of yourself. And PTO is self-care.

10:31
So how can you use your PTO without getting anxious? This isn’t hard. It really isn’t hard. Plan your exit Monday before your departing, make yourself a list. Here’s all the things that I have to take care of before I leave on Friday afternoon, and make sure that you have got a very clear people designated to handle the different things that may need to be handed off. Remind your team at the end of the week, in case there’s anything they need to ask you about, or, you know, have you take care of that maybe the boss had something they wanted to get to you, and they forget that you’re leaving on Friday and are expecting you there on Monday with this thing that they want before you leave.

11:20
A few days before you leave, remind your boss, “Hey, I’m going to be out next week. Is there anything you need? If you do, please let me know,” and that helps them deal with that separation as well. Because as a boss, when you have really good employees, it could be anxiety-provoking to have them go on vacation. So prep everybody for your departure.

11:43
Use that out-of-office time like a boss. Don’t check your email. Have clear boundaries. If somebody calls you, don’t pick up when they first call. You listen to the message. If it’s really urgent, call them back. But it may not be, because some people will think, “Oh, she’s just at the airport. I’ll just catch her before she gets on the plane,” or, “Oh, I’m sure they’re not at the beach yet. I’ll just ask her a quick question.”

12:06
When you’re on vacation, don’t pick up the phone. Listen to the message and then determine if you need to call back. Don’t fake PTO, which a lot of people do, myself included. And that means you’re working in secret. You know, maybe you’re back at the hotel room while, you know, hubby and the kids go down to the pool, you pull out your laptop and you’re trying to get a couple of things done. Don’t do that. It defeats the purpose of extended time that you have to yourself. So totally unplug, even if you are on a, you know, what we call a staycation. Even if you decide that you’re just going to take time off and work around the house, still use that time as recovery and rest. Sure, clean the basement, you know, plant your garden, but take a nap, binge-watch some really great TV, go to a park or take a hike or do something that you normally wouldn’t do, so that it truly is different than what you would do during, you know, a regular work week.

13:02
So anyway, that’s what I’ve got for you today. So wrapping it up, taking your paid time off is not slacking. It’s a strategic decision that helps you create a better future for yourself. I mean, seriously, if you don’t take your vacation, you’re going to get sick, you’re risking getting sick, you’re risking getting burned out, and you just aren’t going to be as sharp as you would be if you did.

13:29
So not slacking. It’s strategic. So my challenge is, after you listen to this episode, go grab your calendar and take some time off, even if it’s some three-day weekends this summer, if it’s a week off to go on vacation in November or even next year. Schedule a trip to Europe. Schedule a trip to somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. Pay for it in advance, and guess what? You have to go because you’ve already paid for it.

13:54
So I’m challenging you to do that. Get that PTO on your calendar, and make sure that you take that time, enjoy that time, and think about work mom if you think about checking your email or calling anybody. So again, that’s what I’ve got for you. Lori Jo Vest, signing off. workmomsays.com is my website. There’s a contact form there. I am also an open networker on LinkedIn, so feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. I’m happy to take your suggestions for topics or guests, answer professional questions if you have a challenge, and maybe I can cover it in an episode. And I also have a book on Amazon, “Work Mom Says: Don’t Be an Idiot!: 38 Lessons You Don’t Want to Learn the Hard Way.” Pick up a copy. There are 38 lessons that I learned the hard way that I hope you can avoid the trauma and drama that I went through early in my career. So take care, and I’ll see you soon.

This podcast is for young professionals who want to learn to play the emotional context sport of business and experience less drama and more success.

How can you be more logical and less emotional? Be strategic, and Work Mom Says can help you.

“I tell people to back up, put down the magnifying glass, and look at the big picture when you’re responding to something,” said Lori Jo Vest, Work Mom. “In doing this, you will understand that what’s really upsetting you right now will be something you don’t even remember next week.”

Listening to Work Mom Says can help you grow your mood management skills, grow your ability to reframe situations, and look at things from a strategic point of view. This makes it easier to go into a work situation and get the most positive results.

On Work Mom Says, we also offer tips and tricks for creating connected positive relationships that last over time. People will want you on the team if you can create connected positive relationships and work environments. You become an asset, and you will be more successful when you’re an asset.

“I also like to talk about developing traits like optimism, persistence, tenacity, stick-to-itiveness, sticking with things, and approaching every project with a curious mind instead of a fearful mind,” said Lori Jo Vest, Work Mom

I do this because I naturally fell into the Work Mom role when I worked in the ad agency business and had so much fun with it. I also realized I had made just about every mistake there was to make. I don’t hold myself as a stellar example of truth and how you should be. I hold myself out there as someone who has been bruised, battered, and beaten up and learned some important lessons. I’d love to share these lessons with young people, so they don’t have to make those same mistakes or be the idiot I was.

I also want to help young professionals realize that many things our culture prioritizes aren’t really important. We talk a lot about what should be important and how to present your best face at the office so that you can succeed.

I’ve learned so much throughout my career, and it’s gratifying to share that with young professionals and help them avoid some of those mistakes and get to that success sooner.

Connect with me on LinkedIn. Order my book!

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