Jesse Irvin 🏥’s Post

It’s July 1st - halfway through the year. How are you and your team doing at actually taking your PTO? I took the last three workdays off and my sister flew in from Montana to spend a long weekend together. I only get to see her once, maybe twice, per year. We didn’t do anything super fancy. Had morning coffee on the deck (one of my dogs joined us, as the picture shows). Had a make-your-own pizza night. Went to a comedy show. Went to a rugby match. Went to Trader Joe’s (three times, actually, since the closest one to her is four hours away and she was jonesing for a TJ’s fix). I put her back on a plane this morning feeling grateful for having spent this time with her. The last time I took multiple days off from work consecutively was December. I’ve taken a day here and there this year, but I feel infinitely better after these few days off. When I log back onto my laptop tomorrow, I will do so refreshed. I didn’t realize how drained I was until I stepped away for a slightly longer break. I’m a more productive employee when I take time off. I’m a better manager. My husband would readily say I’m even a kinder person in general when I take PTO and disconnect. So, back to my original point: we’re halfway through 2024. Don’t hoard your PTO for the holidays. If you’re a manager, encourage your team not to do so, either. Take some now. Go somewhere. Go nowhere. Just make sure to TAKE 👏 SOME 👏 TIME 👏 OFF 👏. You won’t regret it. PTO is 100% necessary. I will die on this hill.

It's your time, use it. The sad truth in today's society: if we work at a job, there is a good chance we will not use our paid time off. I once lost 4 hours and it irritated me for a while knowing it went to waste. It was my time, however I would choose to spend it. Your paid time off (PTO) is an asset that should be used. I am not sure why people don't but I will harbor some possible reasons: *Fear of falling behind on their work. Hogwash! If your boss can't get someone to cover for you, it's on them, not you. *Don't plan a "big getaway" to brag about when they return. Don't have to do that at all. Have some chill time. Visit old friends. Take a small trip to some place you've never been before. *Conflicting schedules with co-workers. The boss may want you there because someone took their time first or they may have a rotation system. Nevertheless, adjust and work with it the best you can. *Afraid something big will come up in the future and they don't have any more time. FOMO at work. Don't worry, just take your PTO and enjoy it as much as possible. If you've accumulated a lot of PTO: *Maybe take extended weekends here and there instead of one big break. I always think it's healthy to take at least one day off per quarter. It breaks the monotony of working week after week. This can work mental wonders. *Tell your boss (cordially) when you are taking off if you can, do not ask. Make them speak up and say it if you can't. If it is no, respectfully say "May I ask why not?" Go to HR or whom they report to if you think you are being treated unfairly. You will earn their respect and they won't be so quick to say no to you in the future. Vacation time is your relief from your job. Your time to do what you want while getting paid. Use it.

Creating your own schedule and taking time off is a liberating yet challenging exercise. For example, I went for a hike today with one of my oldest friends who happens to take Mondays off. We enjoyed rich conversation, challenging inclines, and beautiful views of Mt. Diablo. We had no cell service so checking email wasn't even an option, and guess what - nothing in my inbox was urgent. I take time off right now as I see fit, but it makes me reflect on all of the unused PTO and sick time that I didn't utilize in past roles. Did I feel as though I couldn't create my own schedule or take vacation? Did the timing not work out for my customers or my team? Did time just pass me by? When I first start working with clients, I try to assess how burned out they may be, so I ask when the last time they took time off was for a vacation, or even a "staycation". They usually can't remember! Your reminder: Summer is here so if you haven't taken any time off yet this year, don't wait for the "perfect time" for your work or your leadership - the time for YOU is NOW!

It's quiet at the office and on the roads at the moment as people take advantage of the long bank holiday weekend. This got me thinking about an article I read recently about the rising trend of "quiet vacationing" in the US - the giant workaround culture where employees are more likely to take time off, just without telling their boss! Bringing their work on vacation! Imagine working in an environment where you are worried about asking for time off in case it is viewed as lazy or slacking? It is no surprise that this is more prevalent in Millenials than Gen Z, with Gen Z more likely to be vocal about encouraging a better work culture and work-life balance. At its core, this trend is a call for a change in how we view work. Companies that cultivate an environment of trust and transparency can bridge the generational gap and support their employees better. Encouraging open communication about time off and prioritising mental health can lead to a more productive and satisfied workforce. We should all definitely take note of Lucy Daramola's approach in intentional frequent time off https://shorturl.at/2i8IW How does your workplace handle time off and mental health? Do you think we'll continue to see stark differences between generations in their approach to work-life balance and vs UK and US? #WorkLifeBalance #QuietVacationing #MentalHealth #Productivity #UKHolidays #WorkCulture #DigitalDetox

I'm not a perfect leader. My 1:1s with my team are meant to be about them, but sometimes, things slip through. Last week, Jessica McCullough noticed that I wasn't on top of my game. No, nothing was getting dropped, things were still handled effectively. I was just... off. So Jessica took a chance to remind me about one of the performance indicators we cover during quarterly discussions: taking clarity breaks. I'll admit, I was hesitant. How could I take another day of PTO after scheduling one just two weeks prior? I couldn't possibly step away, there was just too much to do, too many balls in the air, so-and-so needed support, I had to do data evals... Then I remembered the same advice I had given Jessica back when she had (with hesitation) asked for PTO. "Approved! Go take a break, disconnect, I don't want to see you online, whatever fires happen, we will take care of them. Jessica if I see you online I'll take your access away (laughter), get out of here, send me pictures of your vacation when you're done." She was 100% right. This morning I woke up after an extended weekend, and I felt refreshed. I spent a lovely evening last night gaming with my family, I snuggled on the couch with my dog. I felt like I could breathe. (Did I sneak a peek at Slack to ensure everything was okay? Yes. 👀 Look, I'm not perfect. I'm happy to report my team, as always, had everything under control, I had nothing to worry about.) Tomorrow I'm coming with fresh energy, and I'm excited to do non-CS activities on my next long weekend. Take your PTO. Take a clarity break. Your team will thank you, and so will your mind.

I plan work around my time off, I DO NOT plan my time off around work. My non-negotiable; I book time off work every 6 weeks… I don’t wait until I NEED the time off to have a break, I make sure it’s intentional and planned in 6-week cycles. I started doing this a year ago; I now enjoy my job way more and feel less stressed or overwhelmed. I don’t plan all of my time off at the beginning of the year / at the same time, but I wait a few days before I’m due to go on holiday and then book my next break approx. 6 weeks ahead. This allows me to be flexible but also removes the pressure of being so regimented. I can then plan my work around my time off and coordinate cover with the wider team. Your time off doesn’t need to be spent on holidays, going abroad or undertaking big adventures, but it does need to allow you to unplug from work! Yesterday was day 1 of my break - I spent the afternoon with Simone Johnson and our daughters. We had a good chat, cups of tea, walked, went to the park, made homemade pizzas and it was wholesome! How do you plan your time off work? What allows you to unplug? #PlanAhead #AnnualLeave #Balance #WorkingParents

⛱️Carving Out Time for Rest, Creativity, or Development is Sacrosanct!⛱️ This rule 👈is especially beneficial while on the job🕵🏻 hunt. Taking time off shows that you VALUE 👑 yourself, your time⏱️, and your needs 😴🎨🎧. And, since I’m not actively in a role, I have unlimited 🧞♀️PTO, right?! So, why not use this at-home PTO as a STRATEGIC ♟️move!? That way, I reconnect 🧘🏻♀️with myself, my needs, and my vision 👓of what a healthy future 🔮looks like for me and reset so that I show up to my next role at 💯 %. 🔥Burnout is real whether you’re an active employee or not. It’s a slippery slope 🛝to stress 😩yourself into oblivion, especially when applying for multiple jobs where you’re one ☝️ of 450+… but life ☀️🌱is too short. The opportunity 🎁will present itself. I dare to go against your inner or outer critic and make PTO a part of your strategy; don’t deprive yourself of your human right to find time for joy, rest, or connection. #paidtimeoff #strategicthinking #jobseekers

This is my last work week before taking a week of time off for the holidays, which ... perhaps obviously ... has me thinking about time off. Whether you call it PTO or vacation or holiday or something else, how often are you using all of your allotted time? Something I've found interesting as a US>NL immigrant is that most of my European friends do a much better job of taking all of their time off over the course of the year. It's planned, intentional, and often used for fairly local trips. In other words, most people aren't using their time off for lots of grand holidays to big-ticket locations. That being said, several friends have also banked time to take one big chunk of it every few years and do something much bigger. Either way, I know time off makes me better in every way. It gives me the refresh I need to be a better person, mother, wife, friend, and neighbor. But it also helps me be a better leader, a smarter marketer, and a nicer coworker. So if you're NOT taking all of your allotted time, make 2024 the year you do it. PTO makes us better. #marketingstrategy #paidtimeoff #marketingwellbeing #marketingleadership #marketingadvice #worklifebalance

Work, work, work. I think the audience here could typically be summarized as people who are committed to their work, take pride in their work, work hard, and might even enjoy their work. But remember, it's important to take vacations and breaks. Over the years I've had several colleagues who let their PTO (paid/personal time off) build up and didn't use it... I've watched these people burn out, get divorced, and one even confided in me a few years ago that he regretting the time he missed with his kids who were by then grown. I'm obviously not that person. I'll take any vacation I can get! But I also understand why extended time off can be a challenge. So if you can't take that continuous week or two off, there are other things you can do: > use your PTO for longer weekends. I did that one summer taking every other Friday off for the summer. > each day, get outside for a few minutes and stare at a tree. (On the radio yesterday morning, they were talking about psychologists recommending counting butterflies, which gave the DJ the heebeejeebees... but they got the point. Disconnect and get outside for a few minutes.) Hopefully, if you're one of those people who doesn't think they can take time off, even a little, you'll maybe pause and go outside right now, and then when you're done with work for today, look to start planning and scheduling your next real vaca! #burnoutprevention

I'm currently enjoying my first vacation in over 20 years… Well, technically it's not my first vacation ever, but it's the first time I've truly disconnected from work. In the past, I was always thinking about the work waiting for me when I returned, checking emails, and staying in touch with my manager. I'm not exactly sure why I felt the need to stay connected to work - maybe I wanted to stay ahead or just be a good employee. Now that I'm in between jobs, I have no projects, emails, or deadlines to worry about. It's a strange feeling, but a refreshing one. Taking time off should really mean taking time off! It's important to disconnect and recharge your creativity. Creativity needs vacation time because when we're constantly running on empty, our minds can't fully recharge and think outside the box. Looking back, I realize I should have been more willing to disconnect in the past. Work can wait and will still be there when I return. Being a good employee didn't save me when layoffs came knocking at my door anyway. So, my advice to you is simple: when you're on vacation, be on vacation. Disconnect, unplug, and recharge.