Not all PTO is created equal: Women may need more specialized leave policies

• Key Insight: Discover how gendered PTO perceptions necessitate strategic leave-policy redesign.
• What's at Stake: Rising female turnover and discrimination claims could drive retention costs and reputational risk.
• Supporting Data: Nearly 30% of women say current PTO feels unfair versus 20% of men.
  Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

While all of an organization's employees may have access to the same paid-time-off benefits, that doesn't mean they're all benefiting from it the same. 

Nearly 30% of working women say their current PTO feels unfair for the work they do, according to a recent survey from financial technology company Patriot Software, compared to 20% of their male counterparts. The difference in PTO perception is driving a significant wedge between female workers and their employers and if leaders don't want to risk worsening that dynamic, they're going to have to re-strategize their approach to leave.

"Leaders haven't fully recognized that there's any disparity in PTO," said Kirkland Davis, SVP of HR client services and employment general counsel at HR services provider Congruity HR. "We're not going to be able to fix it if it remains a perceived problem versus reality."

Read more: You've built a good PTO policy. Help workers enjoy it

Traditionally, paid time off has been divided into two primary categories: vacation and sick leave. In practice, however, employees often rely on this time to manage responsibilities far beyond its original intent — from childcare and elder care to medical appointments and caregiving schedules for loved ones. Much of this invisible labor continues to fall disproportionately on women compared to their male colleagues, according to Davis, making it more difficult for women to take time off without the fear of repercussions. 

"As leaders, what we need to really understand is that this gap isn't necessarily about the written PTO policy," Davis said. "It's really about whether people, specifically women, feel they can actually use it." 

In fact, nearly one in four women say they don't feel comfortable asking their manager for time off, according to a 2023 survey from fintech company Sorbet, and 19% report feeling less at ease using their PTO than their male counterparts. This could lead to long-term consequences for the organizations they work for, Davis said. 

Less flexibility leads to more turnover

According to Davis, one of the biggest risks organizations face is the cost of retention. When women feel they lack adequate work–life balance — something PTO policies are generally meant to support — they are more likely to leave for workplaces that offer more equitable solutions. As more women begin seeking more holistic support, companies could see increasing turnover among women, Davis said, making retention the more immediate and costly consequence. Another thing to consider is the potential liability from gender or caregiver discrimination claims.

Read more: Why leaders are putting a renewed focus on PTO policies

"If organizations don't address that imbalance at the equity level they're going to miss the boat when it comes to addressing [future issues] with their overall culture," he said. 

Making PTO equitable

The first step to ensuring time-off policies are as equally accessible as possible is to make them clearly communicated and easy for all employees to find by including them in the employee handbook and hosting them in a central employee portal, according to Rachel Blakely-Gray, the content manager at Patriot Software that worked on the fintech's survey. 

Regular reminders like annual holiday schedules and guidance on how to check PTO balances also help reduce confusion and keep everyone informed. Blakely-Gray also urged leaders to make it clear that HR is available to answer questions, receive comments and feedback, or address any concerns. In addition, they should be paired with better training for managers and leaders on how they respond to PTO requests, approvals and the overall conversation around the importance of taking leave, according to Davis.

"Have a comprehensive parental or maternity leave in place so that when women start a family they don't need to dip into their personal PTO pool," she said. "They shouldn't have to use sick time or vacation time to recover or bond with their baby, and the schedule flexibility should extend into their return to work." 

Read more: How Country Maid prioritizes PTO for every life stage

"We need to begin to normalize the usage of PTO," Davis said. "More than that, we need to understand that this directly plays into an overall wellness approach for our organizations."

The good news is that leaders have already begun testing a wide variety of potential solutions such as unlimited PTO, flex days for employees that work in office, and the addition of personal days on top of sick and vacation days. However, there is still significant progress to be made.

"We can't keep creating a stigma where people believe that they can't take advantage of the PTO that's offered them," Davis said. "If we do, then we're moving in the opposite direction of what we should want as a workforce."