Sick Days, PTO, and Summer Fridays: Are You Sending Mixed Signals?

Time off is supposed to be refreshing.

But what happens when your policies say “go rest,” while your culture whispers, “don’t even think about it”? This kind of disconnect—between what’s on paper and what’s lived day-to-day—can leave your team stressed, disengaged, and hesitant to take the breaks they need.

Let’s dig into how to spot (and fix) these mixed signals before they chip away at your company culture.

1. Your Policy Says One Thing, Your Behavior Says Another

You offer unlimited PTO—but your leadership never takes vacation. You encourage sick days—but praise the hero who "pushes through." Sound familiar?

What to do:
Model what you preach. If you want employees to take time off, make sure managers do too. Normalize setting OOO messages and truly unplugging.

2. No One Knows What’s “Okay” to Take

Is it fine to take a Friday off after a big project? What about a mental health day? If the boundaries aren’t clearly defined, people often won’t ask.

What to do:
Create a simple PTO guide with examples of acceptable use. Encourage managers to proactively check in and remind employees they have time to use.

3. “Flexible” Time Off Isn’t Really Flexible

Offering flexibility doesn’t help if there’s unspoken judgment for actually using it. Some employees may feel like taking time off will make them look less committed.

What to do:
Establish clear communication norms. For example, make it okay to log off early on Summer Fridays—as long as deadlines are met. When flexibility is tied to performance (not face time), trust grows.

4. Time Off Requests Feel Like Asking for a Favor

If employees dread requesting a vacation day, your process might be too complicated—or too culturally loaded.

What to do:
Make the request process easy, transparent, and respectful. Acknowledge and approve PTO quickly. If you need to say “no,” explain why and offer alternatives.

5. Burnout Creep is Real

Mixed signals around time off lead to overwork. And overwork leads to burnout. Your most committed employees may be the first to suffer silently.

What to do:
Check in regularly—especially during summer, when workloads fluctuate. Ask how people are feeling, not just what they’re working on.

Time-off policies aren’t just HR paperwork. They’re a reflection of your values and culture.

At Total Solutions, we help businesses align their time-off policies with real-life practices—so employees feel respected, refreshed, and ready to do great work.