Back-to-Work Blues: Survey Finds Employees Anxious About Returning from PTO

At least two recent surveys have found workers hesitant to take paid time off for reasons ranging from self-imposed pressure to a lack of co-workers to cover for them while they’re gone.

A new Glassdoor poll finds that many workers who are actually taking PTO aren’t able to relax and truly enjoy their time away from the office.

In a survey of more than 3,000 professionals, 77% of employees said they feel anxious when thinking about the amount of work waiting for them upon returning from taking paid time off.

Some workers elaborated on the feelings they’ve experienced—and the regrettable actions they’ve taken as a result—in the days after coming back from a vacation.

One respondent noted the “post-PTO stress” that drove them to “have a rant at my client when they immediately asked me into a set of on-site, full-day workshops. Not proud of my actions.”

Another recounted quitting a job upon returning from PTO to tend to a sibling in a medically induced coma after a bad car accident.

“I left (still found coverage for my work), and while I was at my brother’s bedside, my [supervisor] kept emailing me about something,” the worker recalled. “Finally returned his call, and he said, ‘even while on vacation, you’re expected to respond.’ I asked him to email me with a list of things he needed, and [I] replied back with a photo of myself next to my brother, and said, ‘I quit,’ and [copied] HR. Didn’t struggle one bit with that decision.”

Glassdoor discussed their findings with therapist and university professor Erika Bocknek, who linked workers’ anxiety over returning from PTO to ambiguity in terms of what supervisors want from their teams.

“While HR policies may be clear about PTO—in terms of number of days off and those kinds of parameters—clients frequently tell me that there is a lot of ambiguity around supervisor and team expectations,” Bocknek told Glassdoor. “This may include a lack of clarity around tasks, or it may reflect supervisor and colleagues’ ambivalence about the individual having taken time off.”

She also urged leaders and managers to help employees maximize their time away by holding pre- and post-PTO check-ins, and by setting an example that taking time off is not just OK, but is encouraged.

“Employees need to hear that their supervisors have reasonable expectations about productivity and are not sending mixed messages regarding the impact of the employee’s PTO on the team,” Bocknek said. “In addition, leaders can set positive examples and influence the team culture by utilizing their own PTO.”