How much can I push back on negotiating PTO?
April 18, 2022 10:23 AM Subscribe
I currently get a lot of PTO, but I am tired of my boss, tired of being underpaid, and tired of working in fundraising. I have a job offer at a new company to be an executive director, which obviously pays a whole lot more and is 3 days remote/2 days in office, but has a pretty crumby PTO policy. They declined my request to increase PTO but I'm wondering if I can push back and if so, how much.
The new job is 15 days/year, plus 9 holidays and the week between xmas and new years. You also earn a flex day if you work 5 hours or more over a weekend. I currently get 30 days/year, plus 9 holidays, summer fridays, and either July 4 week or xmas week (it's July 4 this year)
I did not try to negotiate any other element of the offer. the salary is above what I asked for, and the other benefits range from acceptable to good. I explained in an email that cutting my PTO in half was a major issue and asked there was any wiggle room, the HR director wrote back saying they "don't make exceptions out of fairness to current staff who have had to adhere to the policy". She also reminded me of the flex time, but that is simply trading a day worked for a day off, it is not actually more time off. I have not responded to her yet.
While it's an executive director position, I would report to the company president, so I can't just make up my own rules or whatever. I was also told all benefit discussion went through HR, so I don't think it would go well if I went over her head. I feel there's a strong argument to be made for already having put in the time to gain the experience for this role, even if I put in that time at another company. I understand I will not get what I currently have, but even 5 more days (or even 3 more!) would make me a lot happier. This is a sticking point for me, but I don't want to jeopardize the offer or get off to a bad start.
So, what is my next move here? Do I just accept that I'm trading PTO for salary? Do I try to call her bluff? Do I try to leverage a raise and new title at my current job even though I'm incredibly sick of working here and desperately want to get out of fundraising?
The new job is 15 days/year, plus 9 holidays and the week between xmas and new years. You also earn a flex day if you work 5 hours or more over a weekend. I currently get 30 days/year, plus 9 holidays, summer fridays, and either July 4 week or xmas week (it's July 4 this year)
I did not try to negotiate any other element of the offer. the salary is above what I asked for, and the other benefits range from acceptable to good. I explained in an email that cutting my PTO in half was a major issue and asked there was any wiggle room, the HR director wrote back saying they "don't make exceptions out of fairness to current staff who have had to adhere to the policy". She also reminded me of the flex time, but that is simply trading a day worked for a day off, it is not actually more time off. I have not responded to her yet.
While it's an executive director position, I would report to the company president, so I can't just make up my own rules or whatever. I was also told all benefit discussion went through HR, so I don't think it would go well if I went over her head. I feel there's a strong argument to be made for already having put in the time to gain the experience for this role, even if I put in that time at another company. I understand I will not get what I currently have, but even 5 more days (or even 3 more!) would make me a lot happier. This is a sticking point for me, but I don't want to jeopardize the offer or get off to a bad start.
So, what is my next move here? Do I just accept that I'm trading PTO for salary? Do I try to call her bluff? Do I try to leverage a raise and new title at my current job even though I'm incredibly sick of working here and desperately want to get out of fundraising?
I'm rather surprised they don't have a vacation purchase program. You have to pay a solid amount (usually 1 week of pay for 1 week of vacation) but it's often used to solve issues like this.
It sounds like you already asked, and they held firm. You could ask again, and make it clear it was the only thing currently that is preventing you from accepting. If you phrase it correctly it will not sour the deal. Acknowledge the existing plan, but ask for an exception for this special circumstance.
And, for what it's worth, I have seen several companies negotiate PTO, but it depends on the position. For hourly, never. For companies that have a lot of hourly (and thus work on a basis where you "earn" a certain amount of PTO) - rarely. For salaried and executive jobs - absolutely all the time.
posted by bbqturtle at 10:38 AM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
It sounds like you already asked, and they held firm. You could ask again, and make it clear it was the only thing currently that is preventing you from accepting. If you phrase it correctly it will not sour the deal. Acknowledge the existing plan, but ask for an exception for this special circumstance.
And, for what it's worth, I have seen several companies negotiate PTO, but it depends on the position. For hourly, never. For companies that have a lot of hourly (and thus work on a basis where you "earn" a certain amount of PTO) - rarely. For salaried and executive jobs - absolutely all the time.
posted by bbqturtle at 10:38 AM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
I would explore if you can take unpaid leave when you're out of PTO. More pay plus the ability to take unpaid leave is pretty equivalent to additional PTO.
posted by aubilenon at 10:39 AM on April 18, 2022 [37 favorites]
posted by aubilenon at 10:39 AM on April 18, 2022 [37 favorites]
(Assuming US, based on the PTO package of the new company). In my experience this isn't negotiable, both for the reasons stated and for the fact that corporate systems are built around a one size fits all policy. In order, what I'd do:
(1) absolutely take the new job, based on what you said
(2) negotiate a start date that gives you time off up front. If you're going to be at a PTO deficit you should take more time than usual before the actual start. I'd actually combine this with rolling over the maximum amount of first year vacation - usually 5 days. Doing this will give you the usual amount of PTO this year (albeit with less control over when), and 20 days instead of 15 next year. It's only in year 3 when you'll start to feel the pain.
(3) If it aligns with your job, plan on working exactly 5 hours on a bunch of weekends, and then banking a full flex day.
As mentioned above, you can ask about unpaid leave or "buying" time. Some companies do have policies for that.
posted by true at 10:44 AM on April 18, 2022 [9 favorites]
(1) absolutely take the new job, based on what you said
(2) negotiate a start date that gives you time off up front. If you're going to be at a PTO deficit you should take more time than usual before the actual start. I'd actually combine this with rolling over the maximum amount of first year vacation - usually 5 days. Doing this will give you the usual amount of PTO this year (albeit with less control over when), and 20 days instead of 15 next year. It's only in year 3 when you'll start to feel the pain.
(3) If it aligns with your job, plan on working exactly 5 hours on a bunch of weekends, and then banking a full flex day.
As mentioned above, you can ask about unpaid leave or "buying" time. Some companies do have policies for that.
posted by true at 10:44 AM on April 18, 2022 [9 favorites]
Best answer: I was imagining you were talking about, like, 2 weeks a year, but the advice I was going to give changed when I read this:
The new job is 15 days/year, plus 9 holidays and the week between xmas and new years. You also earn a flex day if you work 5 hours or more over a weekend. I currently get 30 days/year, plus 9 holidays, summer fridays, and either July 4 week or xmas week (it's July 4 this year)
This is not as much as your current position, but it's also pretty darned good for a job in the US (Summer Fridays! I wish I got summer Fridays!). I agree that you're probably not going to be able to get them to budge, but if it's a dealbreaker for you, make the demand again and prepare to walk from the offer when they say no. Only you can decide if it's a worthwhile trade-off.
If I were you, though, all that vacation time wouldn't be enough to outweigh still pretty good vacation time plus all the other great advantages of the new position, and I'd take the new job. If it ends up truly being a burden, at least you traded up on the other aspects for now, and then you can go find another job in the future that offers more vacation with the advantage of an Executive Director title on your resume.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 10:51 AM on April 18, 2022 [22 favorites]
The new job is 15 days/year, plus 9 holidays and the week between xmas and new years. You also earn a flex day if you work 5 hours or more over a weekend. I currently get 30 days/year, plus 9 holidays, summer fridays, and either July 4 week or xmas week (it's July 4 this year)
This is not as much as your current position, but it's also pretty darned good for a job in the US (Summer Fridays! I wish I got summer Fridays!). I agree that you're probably not going to be able to get them to budge, but if it's a dealbreaker for you, make the demand again and prepare to walk from the offer when they say no. Only you can decide if it's a worthwhile trade-off.
If I were you, though, all that vacation time wouldn't be enough to outweigh still pretty good vacation time plus all the other great advantages of the new position, and I'd take the new job. If it ends up truly being a burden, at least you traded up on the other aspects for now, and then you can go find another job in the future that offers more vacation with the advantage of an Executive Director title on your resume.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 10:51 AM on April 18, 2022 [22 favorites]
When I hear negotiate PTO, I think negotiating banked PTO not negotiating the actual PTO program. I've always worked places that you accrue as you go and start with zero. I have successfully negotiated for 2 weeks banked PTO. I don't think you're going to get anywhere calling her bluff.
Two weeks a year PTO is not great, but if everything else is good, it wouldn't be a deal breaker to me.
(Also assuming US)
posted by jraz at 10:52 AM on April 18, 2022
Two weeks a year PTO is not great, but if everything else is good, it wouldn't be a deal breaker to me.
(Also assuming US)
posted by jraz at 10:52 AM on April 18, 2022
Best answer: "Companies may negotiate on many things, but PTO is not one of them. I can’t think of a company anywhere that does."
I've never gotten an offer from a company that doesn't. One of the first companies I worked for out of college, the owner straight up told me he absolutely loves bargaining for PTO. It's no extra money out of his pocket, but it makes his employees happy. He used to use it as a perk, almost like a bonus. You'd get raises every six months at your review, but if if you did something well in between reviews, he'd throw you a half-day of PTO as a thank you. Again, costs him nothing.
I haven't been successful every time I've tried to negotiate more PTO, but everywhere has at least entertained the idea. One thing that's worked for me is offering to give back a little salary in return for more PTO. This only works if the salary offer is a lot higher than what you're currently making (which it sounds like is the case for you). I've gotten offers for like $20k over current salary and suggested taking $5k less in exchange for 25% more PTO. Again, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's absolutely something you can try.
"if you get special treatment it won’t be fair to other new people"
There is no aspect of hiring that's fair to everyone at the company. New people start at higher pay due to inflation, for example. At that same company I mentioned before, I think I started at $9/hour (it was a while ago), and then after I'd been there for a couple of years, they started starting people out at $10/hour. I'd gotten raises so that I was making more than $10 by that point, but not significantly so. It threw my pay scale out of whack, but that happens. The OP shouldn't have to sacrifice their own desires because of how the company treats other employees, many of whom may not have even thought to negotiate any aspect of their offer.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:53 AM on April 18, 2022 [5 favorites]
I've never gotten an offer from a company that doesn't. One of the first companies I worked for out of college, the owner straight up told me he absolutely loves bargaining for PTO. It's no extra money out of his pocket, but it makes his employees happy. He used to use it as a perk, almost like a bonus. You'd get raises every six months at your review, but if if you did something well in between reviews, he'd throw you a half-day of PTO as a thank you. Again, costs him nothing.
I haven't been successful every time I've tried to negotiate more PTO, but everywhere has at least entertained the idea. One thing that's worked for me is offering to give back a little salary in return for more PTO. This only works if the salary offer is a lot higher than what you're currently making (which it sounds like is the case for you). I've gotten offers for like $20k over current salary and suggested taking $5k less in exchange for 25% more PTO. Again, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's absolutely something you can try.
"if you get special treatment it won’t be fair to other new people"
There is no aspect of hiring that's fair to everyone at the company. New people start at higher pay due to inflation, for example. At that same company I mentioned before, I think I started at $9/hour (it was a while ago), and then after I'd been there for a couple of years, they started starting people out at $10/hour. I'd gotten raises so that I was making more than $10 by that point, but not significantly so. It threw my pay scale out of whack, but that happens. The OP shouldn't have to sacrifice their own desires because of how the company treats other employees, many of whom may not have even thought to negotiate any aspect of their offer.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:53 AM on April 18, 2022 [5 favorites]
they “don't make exceptions out of fairness to current staff who have had to adhere to the policy”
Oh, so everyone is paid the exact same dollar amount to work there? Neat!
GTFO!
Some great suggestions here. Don’t just give up on this. It’s worth your effort.
posted by fruitslinger at 10:58 AM on April 18, 2022 [11 favorites]
Oh, so everyone is paid the exact same dollar amount to work there? Neat!
GTFO!
Some great suggestions here. Don’t just give up on this. It’s worth your effort.
posted by fruitslinger at 10:58 AM on April 18, 2022 [11 favorites]
15 days of PTO if that includes sick time is not a lot. I would assume that the longer you stay at the organization the more PTO you earn. If so, you could negotiate to fast track earning more PTO.
posted by brookeb at 11:34 AM on April 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by brookeb at 11:34 AM on April 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
I too haven't interacted with a company of any size that would bargain on PTO. Based on Kevinbelt's post some do, but it was the one thing that was a complete non-starter IME.
I would definitely go the unpaid leave route. I did that when I started my last job--in my case, a one time two week stint, which is easier than doing it annually, but still. The big advantage is it should take HR and "policy" out of the picture and is just between you and your boss. The disadvantage is it's not in writing, so you need some level of trust that your new boss will not change their mind.
a pretty crumby PTO policy
If they have a separate bin for sick days, 3 weeks off, generous holidays, formal weekend comp time and a Christmas shutdown for new employees this is way above par for the US.
If you need to take sick days off out of the PTO it's unimpressive, but have seen worse.
posted by mark k at 11:37 AM on April 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
I would definitely go the unpaid leave route. I did that when I started my last job--in my case, a one time two week stint, which is easier than doing it annually, but still. The big advantage is it should take HR and "policy" out of the picture and is just between you and your boss. The disadvantage is it's not in writing, so you need some level of trust that your new boss will not change their mind.
a pretty crumby PTO policy
If they have a separate bin for sick days, 3 weeks off, generous holidays, formal weekend comp time and a Christmas shutdown for new employees this is way above par for the US.
If you need to take sick days off out of the PTO it's unimpressive, but have seen worse.
posted by mark k at 11:37 AM on April 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
Just re-iterating that companies not being negotiable on PTO is not uncommon, so I'd take it at face value if they're saying that point isn't negotiable.
That being said what also may be negotiable is the ability to take some of those remote days all in a row and do "work" while remote (which may be where you're vacationing?).
My wife and I both have "unlimited vacation" (total scam, I know) which means we both end up having to do some work while on vacation though neither of us is yet required back in the office with any regularity. However, we can both though do something like take a few days off and work a few days while traveling and if we had a normal PTO bank we would be able to preserve some of those hours. This might be something you're able to negotiate. (Can I do a week remotely, if I'm in the office the whole next week? etc)
This does tend to work better in a more traditional salaried role, and having a boss who cares more about your productivity than the hours of work performed.
posted by bitdamaged at 11:58 AM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
That being said what also may be negotiable is the ability to take some of those remote days all in a row and do "work" while remote (which may be where you're vacationing?).
My wife and I both have "unlimited vacation" (total scam, I know) which means we both end up having to do some work while on vacation though neither of us is yet required back in the office with any regularity. However, we can both though do something like take a few days off and work a few days while traveling and if we had a normal PTO bank we would be able to preserve some of those hours. This might be something you're able to negotiate. (Can I do a week remotely, if I'm in the office the whole next week? etc)
This does tend to work better in a more traditional salaried role, and having a boss who cares more about your productivity than the hours of work performed.
posted by bitdamaged at 11:58 AM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
A friend of mine had a similar situation. They increased his pay to compensate for the extra two weeks and allowed him to take two weeks of leave without pay.
In most places, they don't negotiate on benefits. But if they are ok with leave without pay or a vacation purchase program, you can negotiate a higher salary.
posted by WizKid at 12:52 PM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
In most places, they don't negotiate on benefits. But if they are ok with leave without pay or a vacation purchase program, you can negotiate a higher salary.
posted by WizKid at 12:52 PM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: So, taking a big step back: the amount of vacation time you get currently seems generous by US standards. So I think this might be something you have to reckon with wherever you go, if you get a new job at all. As I read it...
I currently get 30 days/year, plus 9 holidays, summer fridays, and either July 4 week or xmas week
30days/6 weeks + 9 individual holidays + summer Fridays (let's say that's 8 days) + another holiday week = more than 10 weeks a year. That's a lot in the US, no? Maybe not if the 30 days includes sick time. But I think you might have less wherever you go. And the new place doesn't sound ... terrible.
I don't know how it would work out for you, as a leader, if you had more vacation time than your direct reports and the folks under you. Like, imagine you were hiring someone new and they negotiated for more vacation time than your most senior, excellent employee already has. Wouldn't that seem super sucky and wouldn't you be concerned about morale?
Here's another negotiating tactic that might be successful and would likely earn you a lot with your new employees: instead of negotiating more PTO for you, negotiate for more for EVERYONE in the organization. Two more days (or whatever) for everyone (including you) will get you so much with your new people.
Also, always ask for more money. That's likely what they were expecting. ALWAYS ask for more money.
I think if you stay in your current job until you find another job that has as much vacation, you are never going to leave your current job.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:44 PM on April 18, 2022 [10 favorites]
I currently get 30 days/year, plus 9 holidays, summer fridays, and either July 4 week or xmas week
30days/6 weeks + 9 individual holidays + summer Fridays (let's say that's 8 days) + another holiday week = more than 10 weeks a year. That's a lot in the US, no? Maybe not if the 30 days includes sick time. But I think you might have less wherever you go. And the new place doesn't sound ... terrible.
I don't know how it would work out for you, as a leader, if you had more vacation time than your direct reports and the folks under you. Like, imagine you were hiring someone new and they negotiated for more vacation time than your most senior, excellent employee already has. Wouldn't that seem super sucky and wouldn't you be concerned about morale?
Here's another negotiating tactic that might be successful and would likely earn you a lot with your new employees: instead of negotiating more PTO for you, negotiate for more for EVERYONE in the organization. Two more days (or whatever) for everyone (including you) will get you so much with your new people.
Also, always ask for more money. That's likely what they were expecting. ALWAYS ask for more money.
I think if you stay in your current job until you find another job that has as much vacation, you are never going to leave your current job.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:44 PM on April 18, 2022 [10 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you so much for these answers, there's some really good stuff here and hopefully I can use your advice without totally screwing myself over, haha. And yes, I apologize for not mentioning, but I am US based.
The 15 days at the new job does include sick time (and actually all of my holidays, as I am not christian) and would be prorated to 7 days for 2022 based on my potential start date. I know I am absolutely spoiled for flexibility in my current job, but this new company is not so big that I would have expected such a rigid answer from HR.
Based on what you all have suggested here, I think the easiest route is to either get them to be less stingy with prorating my days for this year or to see if I can have some floating holidays. And then maybe bringing it up again at my 6 month or 1 year review???
posted by CookieNose at 1:46 PM on April 18, 2022
The 15 days at the new job does include sick time (and actually all of my holidays, as I am not christian) and would be prorated to 7 days for 2022 based on my potential start date. I know I am absolutely spoiled for flexibility in my current job, but this new company is not so big that I would have expected such a rigid answer from HR.
Based on what you all have suggested here, I think the easiest route is to either get them to be less stingy with prorating my days for this year or to see if I can have some floating holidays. And then maybe bringing it up again at my 6 month or 1 year review???
posted by CookieNose at 1:46 PM on April 18, 2022
I think the easiest route is to either get them to be less stingy with prorating my days for this year or to see if I can have some floating holidays. And then maybe bringing it up again at my 6 month or 1 year review???
Yes, 7 days for the rest of the year, to cover religious holidays and sick time, is horrible. I do think it's worth discussing this with whomever you are negotiating with, not just HR, as it seems to be the major sticking point. I don't think you should count on anything changing after they've hired you. Get it all decided upon before you accept. This is when you have the most power.
Another possibility: negotiate a later start date, but still without egregious prorating of your PTO, so you can take a chunk of time off after you finish at your current job. Which is to say, you could at least get some vacation time in in the middle. Any chance any of your religious holidays might be in that timeframe too? Probably not, I'm guessing.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:59 PM on April 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
Yes, 7 days for the rest of the year, to cover religious holidays and sick time, is horrible. I do think it's worth discussing this with whomever you are negotiating with, not just HR, as it seems to be the major sticking point. I don't think you should count on anything changing after they've hired you. Get it all decided upon before you accept. This is when you have the most power.
Another possibility: negotiate a later start date, but still without egregious prorating of your PTO, so you can take a chunk of time off after you finish at your current job. Which is to say, you could at least get some vacation time in in the middle. Any chance any of your religious holidays might be in that timeframe too? Probably not, I'm guessing.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:59 PM on April 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
Is this job remote? If not, this could be something of a fallback item to negotiate with should PTO not be (though you should try the great suggestions above).
Often I’m happy to work but just can’t because of travel logistics, etc.
posted by artificialard at 2:11 PM on April 18, 2022
Often I’m happy to work but just can’t because of travel logistics, etc.
posted by artificialard at 2:11 PM on April 18, 2022
How much can I push back on negotiating PTO?
It really depends. Some places it's locked in iron, others it's flexible, and still others it's almost expected. My current employer is extremely generous with leave and has about a dozen different ways of getting new employees more leave if they're desirable enough. But I've also been other places where there was a rigid formula and absolutely no deviation was permitted.
While it's an executive director position, I would report to the company president, so I can't just make up my own rules or whatever.
Depending on your relationship with the president, they can if they chose to. I've had years at an employer where there was an agreement that I got an extra week of leave off the books between me and my manager. But I'm in-demand enough that if they were to decide to renege on the deal I'd just go elsewhere. And it does carry the risk of management changing and the new one not being willing to make the same offer. In my case, it carried over across three managers without an issue.
The 15 days at the new job does include sick time
I hate those policies because it incentivizes people to come into the office sick to preserve their vacation time.
posted by Candleman at 2:28 PM on April 18, 2022
It really depends. Some places it's locked in iron, others it's flexible, and still others it's almost expected. My current employer is extremely generous with leave and has about a dozen different ways of getting new employees more leave if they're desirable enough. But I've also been other places where there was a rigid formula and absolutely no deviation was permitted.
While it's an executive director position, I would report to the company president, so I can't just make up my own rules or whatever.
Depending on your relationship with the president, they can if they chose to. I've had years at an employer where there was an agreement that I got an extra week of leave off the books between me and my manager. But I'm in-demand enough that if they were to decide to renege on the deal I'd just go elsewhere. And it does carry the risk of management changing and the new one not being willing to make the same offer. In my case, it carried over across three managers without an issue.
The 15 days at the new job does include sick time
I hate those policies because it incentivizes people to come into the office sick to preserve their vacation time.
posted by Candleman at 2:28 PM on April 18, 2022
Best answer: The 15 days at the new job does include sick time (and actually all of my holidays, as I am not christian) and would be prorated to 7 days for 2022 based on my potential start date. I know I am absolutely spoiled for flexibility in my current job, but this new company is not so big that I would have expected such a rigid answer from HR.
Not sure if anyone is still watching this thread, but I do want to revise my answer a bit from above: this actually does suck. 15 days including sick time is ridiculous, it's clearly more like 1.5-2 weeks of actual vacation, and the holiday part is no good either. Would you have any power as ED to change these policies? Like, the 15 days being vacation + sick is anti-inclusive for e.g. parents who need to take care of family), and the fact that there's no allowance for non-Christian employees who have other holiday needs is also super anti-inclusive, and those are very reasonable things to change as an employer in a very worker-friendly job market (and because they're the right things to do, but this is America).
All considered, I'd still probably take this, but it's definitely much less of a no-brainer than I thought above. At best, it's a good job, pay bump, and resume enhancer with an unthoughtful leave policy that is much looser in practice, but at worst, it's somewhere that doesn't care about its employees.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 7:56 AM on April 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Not sure if anyone is still watching this thread, but I do want to revise my answer a bit from above: this actually does suck. 15 days including sick time is ridiculous, it's clearly more like 1.5-2 weeks of actual vacation, and the holiday part is no good either. Would you have any power as ED to change these policies? Like, the 15 days being vacation + sick is anti-inclusive for e.g. parents who need to take care of family), and the fact that there's no allowance for non-Christian employees who have other holiday needs is also super anti-inclusive, and those are very reasonable things to change as an employer in a very worker-friendly job market (and because they're the right things to do, but this is America).
All considered, I'd still probably take this, but it's definitely much less of a no-brainer than I thought above. At best, it's a good job, pay bump, and resume enhancer with an unthoughtful leave policy that is much looser in practice, but at worst, it's somewhere that doesn't care about its employees.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 7:56 AM on April 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
As a data point, I've talked with (US-based) companies who have a flat "we don't negotiate PTO period" policy and those who say "everyone gets the same but we wiggle around it in certain cases" and even others who say "sure, everything is on the table". It can't hurt to ask again, and my standard approach is always "I understand that's the policy - I'm leaving a lot on the table at my current (old) job, what are some other levers we might pull?" I make it plain that PTO is a huge motivator for me, and that I'm willing to give up other things for it. I've had a couple offers in the last six months - one was a pretty standard leave policy but a great salary and bonus package, and the assurance that leave without pay was not a problem, and another that couldn't QUITE hit my salary mark but got really creative with the PTO policy.
posted by ersatzkat at 10:32 AM on April 19, 2022
posted by ersatzkat at 10:32 AM on April 19, 2022
Response by poster: Thought I'd just give a quick update in case anyone was still following this thrilling caper.
I ended up getting them to do a bit better on the prorated days off than they originally offered, and agree to the option for unpaid time off should that not be enough. It's not a huge increase but it is something, and at the very least I hope others are able to benefit from the advice here. I know I will certainly refer back to it if/when I am job hunting again. And if there are ways I can push back with the company president on improving the PTO offerings for all our staff, you best believe I will.
posted by CookieNose at 12:01 PM on April 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
I ended up getting them to do a bit better on the prorated days off than they originally offered, and agree to the option for unpaid time off should that not be enough. It's not a huge increase but it is something, and at the very least I hope others are able to benefit from the advice here. I know I will certainly refer back to it if/when I am job hunting again. And if there are ways I can push back with the company president on improving the PTO offerings for all our staff, you best believe I will.
posted by CookieNose at 12:01 PM on April 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
« Older What's involved in taking my number to a new phone... | Where can I sit on a new toilet in NYC? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Melismata at 10:34 AM on April 18, 2022 [6 favorites]