- Key insight: Discover how 'PTO-maxxing' can boost employee recovery while reducing lost workdays.
- What's at stake: Unchecked PTO underuse increases burnout risk and undermines productivity and retention.
- Expert quote: Employers must actively guide PTO usage, not assume availability ensures use. - Lauren Burns, Blink.
Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review
Many employees struggle with
Surveys tracking PTO use in the past two years revealed a troubling trend: Eagle Hill Consulting found that nearly half of employees (48%) didn't use all of their PTO in 2024, and FlexJobs reported that 23% didn't take any time off at all in 2025. In both sets of data, a heavy workload, pressure from managers, and an
"Benefits leaders should not assume that offering PTO automatically means employees feel able to use it. Many employees still need cultural permission and practical guidance to make the most of the benefits available to them," said Lauren Burns, chief operating officer at Blink, an employee experience platform.
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Leaders can reverse employee concerns by helping employees understand "PTO-maxxing" — the strategy of tacking vacation days onto weekends or federal holidays in order to optimize time off. Blink has put together a 2026 calendar that identifies these chunks of time: For example, if a workforce has Juneteenth (Friday, June 19th) off already, requesting the 18th and the 22nd gives employees five days off while only using two days of PTO.
"Effectively maximizing PTO helps employees get more restorative value out of the time off they already have," said Burns. "This can be crucial, because burnout recovery can often require more than a single day away from work. Strategically timed PTO gives employees the chance to properly disconnect, travel, spend time with family, manage life admin or simply rest. It also gives employees more control over their year, helping them plan smaller resets."
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Encourage employees to take PTO
"If the employer takes the lead by saying, 'Here are smart ways to plan your time off this year,' it removes some of that guilt and uncertainty," Burns said.
Benefit leaders and managers should promote PTO as an important part of the overall employee experience, explained Maria Trapenasso, SVP, national practice leader, talent solutions at insurance company NFP. When employers take the lead in this conversation, "it removes some of that guilt and uncertainty" that many employees feel, Burns said.
"Helping employees to recognize ways to take their PTO, i.e., extending weekends or taking time off around the holidays, creates a 'people-first' culture where employees feel valued and appreciated," said Trapenasso. "Employees in this type of environment tend to be more productive and loyal to the organization. Seasoned benefit leaders realize that a supportive culture is an attraction and retention tool that fosters stability and long-term growth within healthy organizations."
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How maximizing PTO helps businesses
"Encouraging employees to maximize their PTO is a simple, low-cost way for benefits leaders to show that wellness is something they take seriously — it turns PTO from a passive benefit into an active tool for well-being," said Burns.
Smarter PTO planning also helps create a more predictable approach to scheduling, she noted. "Planned absences are easier to manage and communicate around, and as a result, they are often less disruptive to teams.
Blink's PTO-maxxing chart outlines good times for vacations between now and next February — a valuable tool for benefit leaders to use within a larger PTO-use gameplan, Burns said.
"When leaders communicate PTO strategy clearly and consistently, they help every employee understand how to use their benefits in a way that supports both their well-being and the needs of the business."
