Paid time off is one of the great things about working a salaried job. You can take a vacation and not worry about money you might be losing out on. This is important for your mental health as a worker. They say that the days before your vacation (when you’re anticipating it) are even better for you than your actual days off. Sure, this sounds a little bleak, but it goes to show just how important time off is. Not only does it allow us to live our regular lives, it helps us be better workers. 

And the thing about PTO is that you should be able to take it pretty much any time you want to, within reason. They’ve already given it to you upfront, so they can’t be mad when you avail yourself of it. Except that it’s not always as simple as it is. Sometimes when staffing is tight, workers end up paying the price for bad deeds they did not commit.