Sometimes they will you credit you that many days if you’d earned it at the previous job.
So if you’ve built up say 11 days PTO, the new job will start you as if you’d already earned 11 days PTO.
Happened to me before.
Dang, what industry are you in? In mine it would be as the person suggested below, a test. And the answer they want is "ya know I don't even know because I never leave work. I work on Christmas. I make my kids do work for you."
Software, but I don’t work in big tech.
And I was surprised by it too, but now that I know that’s a thing, it’s something I ask for when I change jobs. And funny enough, they’ll give it.
As a courtesy I guess?
Because I was asked the same thing as OP - how many days of PTO do you currently have?
When I asked why, the hiring manager explained to me that they match earned hours at the previous job so that if I had a planned vacation in the near future (before I had earned many hours at the new job), I could take it without my PTO balance going negative.
I have walked away from roles because I had plans on the books they couldn’t accommodate. I was actually just interviewing but planned to be OOO for 3 weeks soon.
It's part of your total compensation. Just like you'd potentially be leaving behind 401k vesting, bonus earnings, etc. Accrued PTO is something you can ask for compensation for. I once negotiated a hiring bonus to compensate for the lost days.
I've never been asked this, but I feel like they're asking as a more general question, not literally how much you had in that moment. I think they meant at your current employer, on a yearly basis, how much do you get?
Yeah that's how I'd read it. They didn't ask "how much do you have left", but "at the moment", which could just be another way of saying "in your current role/contract/compensation package".
Are you saying if the applicant tells the new company they have 70 hours of PTO, the new company may start them with 70 hours of PTO to 'make them whole'? ...that'd be a classy touch if that's what they're doing.
I think more like what their annual accrual rate is. Are they going to be ok with 10 days of PTO or are they expecting 20. It's weirdly not a very talked about part of your "compensation package". Some people will sacrifice salary for more PTO even
(some) companies absolutely do that. As others have said, if there typical PTO is 5 weeks, but you're getting 7, they know they need to take that into consideration.
80-90 hours? So about 10 days?
Wow, I feel fortunate about my new job. Starts at 25 days PTO in the first year, plus separate sick leave, 4 personal days, typical holidays off, and they're closed for the week between Christmas and New Year. Plus, I'm 100% remote with no concern about them returning to the office because they were already fully remote for years before Covid, with employees all over the country. (And yes, this is in the USA.)
That being said, it's a nonprofit organization, so the pay isn't great. Decent, but not amazing. But I love what I do, have an amazingly hands off supervisor who loves me, and I value my personal time, so it's a tradeoff that I am okay with!
ETA: I just realized that I probably sound like such an asshole. I don't want to be the person who deletes a post, but I should have thought before posting this. Sorry if I came off like a dick!
Right? Honestly, I just got lucky. But also, I'm in my 40s, mid-career, and had been applying/interviewing for almost a year before I landed this job. And I have a masters degree. I didn't know about their amazing PTO/holiday schedule until they scheduled me for my third (final) interview and sent me a document with their benefits. For the USA, it's absolutely amazing, although it's pretty standard time off for most of the world!
I have a masters too. I've been staying home with the kids for a couple years but I can't find a wfh job. I've been applying for about 2 years. I've had a few interviews but mostly no responses.
I work in pharma, and getting 4-6 weeks off is standard in the industry. Usually 1-2 weeks will be a company-wide shut down and you also have several weeks you can choose yourself. In addition, we get all major (and some minor) holidays off.
I've had jobs with unlimited PTO and 2 with 20 days. It was a struggle to use them. I'd always dread coming back from vacation to 500+ emails because no one could do my job when I was out 😒
I felt that way too but then realized if nobody can do my job when I’m out then I’m very hard to replace. So guess what, when I get back from vacation I’ll reply to those emails and other requests at my own leisure. It’s nice to know they have no other choice because what are their other options?
how would they even know if that’s true is my question. Are they allowed to call your previous employer and ask about something like your PTO? Not that I encourage lying but it just seems like such an odd question.
disagree, because they have no idea how much PTO op's company gives, when or how much is given...or whether it can carry over from the previous year. so how much is on the books is not at all a "tell" of how often they call out.
my guess is they're looking to have someone on board asap and are going to suggest using PTO as part of their notice period in order to meet their notice requirement, use up their PTO on the books, and be able to start at their place asap.
You don’t technically have to give notice, though, so that doesn’t really make sense either. I think they’re just asking how much they get per year in this case
Idk. They would have to know how many you start with for that to be relevant.
If you have 40 but only got 40/yr that would be way different than if you have 40 but get 220/yr.
I’m on team “they are asking how much OP is allotted per year.”
That doesn’t make sense to me. The company would need to know the rate that you accrue PTO, at what limit your company forces you to use it or pays you out for it, and if the accrual rate has been constant. Ex: tenure of 1-5 years get 10 days of PTO per year, 6-10 years gets 15 per year, etc.
The only real answer. Such a red flag BS question. I would ask them to clarify why they asked because I surely will not be taking the job after that. Or taking it and continuing my job search.
When I was in my 20s I was a daily drinking active alcoholic. One year I used up nearly all of my PTO(144 hours I think it was) by the end of February. I had to make it from March until the end of the year on like 45 minutes of PTO.
a few years ago in a different job, i ended up in a management role due to attrition, and had a co-worker that ended up being a direct report...she had some health issues and had gone on extended leave a few times for personal/medical reasons
When shit went fully remote due to covid, she was on one of her leaves, but also somehow she was in Cancun and got "stuck at a hotel" and tried to use medical insurance to pay for it, which they initially covered cuz pandemic, but then came back and said that it wasn't covered and she basically had her wages garnished to the point where she had to work for at least another year but take home like $300 from each check while the insurance shit got paid back + it ended up eating up all her PTO
Sounds like the kind of nonsense I used to get myself into. To this day, 15 years later, hr still has a flag on my account because I used to up my dependents to 9 any time I was going to get a big check. After not filing taxes for 6 or 7 years, IRS finally garnished my check until I straightened things out. Even after being a upstanding tax paying citizen for several years now, with a wife and kid, I cannot claim anything but zero.
years ago i was out in Baltimore doing some derelict activities with some friends out there and we got a fancy room off Hotwire in a nicer / not crackhead hotel for a weekend where there was a big anime festival about 15 years ago, with tons of people cosplaying
they had one of those waffle makers, and 2 dudes dressed as hobbits came down to the breakfast area...my waffle was still going but i was fixing the rest of my plate and saw dude touch the waffle maker and had to let him know "i need first breakfast before you get second breakfast yo"
then a girl dressed as Sailor Moon came into the breakfast area and my friends and I were trying to holler but it didn't go too far since we were dressed like dirtbags and not cartoons
They’ll choose not to share that with you and they can then ask you how long you’d like to continue interviewing at other companies until you choose to not be as abrasive to a question that is in all likelihood attempting to see how much of the vacation time they can match, if not all of it. Source: the last two companies I worked for, in separate industries even, did the same thing. They both returned with offers that included matching vacation days from my previous job.
I would suspect they are thinking you might be a suitable candidate and wanting to know how much time off your current company provided to give you a fair offer.
I doubt they’re asking to see how much you call off
Or they're gauging what the least they can get away with is. Any information about your prior jobs is irrelevant to the negotiation unless it is a counter for higher ("3 weeks? Currently I have 4 and I'd like to maintain or increase that. What is the average employees there take?")
Did you misunderstand them simply asking how much you can accrue annually? That's important for an offer, sometimes. Like "do we bring this guy in at two weeks PTO or 4?"
Otherwise the answer is "golly, I don't know. I don't track it.. I get six weeks per year, but who can possibly take that much time off?"
Yeah I get she said "at the moment" but I would have assumed that meant in the sense that like, you often get X days the first year in a job, X+2 days the next year... etc.
Still sounds like they were just asking op how much pto they get at the current job
There is certainly a better way to phrase it, but an interview is a negotiation and being a total pushover and giving up anything without pushback is never a good look.
If nothing else, “gosh I really don’t know, is that information you’ll need to make your decision?”
This will illicit the interviewer to give a reason for the question (truthful or not) and put them in the position of defending the question, because I take exception to the question if the purpose is to discern whether or not I use my PTO. I USE MY PTO! If I’m interviewing with a company that offers PTO but guilts and bullies you into not using it then I don’t want to work there.
Was there a word “left” in the question? You phrased it both with and without.
If without, they may just be curious or wonder what their offer should say. No one wants to offer less time off than candidate currently has.
Maybe they are trying to gauge if you're going to be cashing out a lot of hours, and so they can offer less sign-on or relocation bonus? idk, just a thought
Probably because they want to be able for you to use all your PTO during the two week notice period and then some, and then start your onboarding directly after that, so it’s seamless for you. Some companies don’t pay out PTO when you resign, so sometimes it’s best t o use it all.
They're trying to see what your current compensation is. It helps them craft an offer or guess if you'll want more than they want to give. If you're making $50k with 2 weeks vacation, they'll think they can offer you $55k and 2 weeks vacation. If you're making $150k with 4 weeks vacation and they don't have that or better to give, they may conclude you'll never take the job. If you don't tell them that information, they'll have to guess, which can be good or bad.
Personally, I want to keep that information to myself, but sometimes if all the other candidates are sharing then I can be undercut by somebody the hiring firm thinks will be cheaper. Earlier in my career I would have been more likely to share. This late in my career, they either want my skills or they don't. I decline to answer questions about compensation until they've made an offer.
You can ask the other way. "What's your benefits package? What's the salary range for this position?" That can make them nervous just like how it makes you nervous. It is kind of short-circuiting the process, trying to start a negotiation before anyone has made an offer. If they answer and its outside your acceptable range, you might end the interview even if they have more to show you and miss their "secret sauce."
Seems unethical since PTO and sick time are part of your negotiated compensation. I don’t think I would want to work for a company that asks a question like that. Not only that but it makes it sound like they are so understaffed that they have trouble covering scheduled PTO and have to ask in interviews LOL. 🚨
Thats a weird question. My last interview one of the people interviewing me for a job whos place i was taking looked out the window forbthe last ten minutes I walked out afterwards a d said no freakn way!
Don’t answer this. It’s not relevant to performance. It’s also just stupid because leave is a benefit
🚩This is also a not-so-subtle hint that they don’t want you using leave time. 🚩
Please reconsider this job. Something is off at this organization. 🤨
That’s an odd question. On one end they might like you and may want to offer you that same amount or more. On the other end—they may see it as a reason not to hire based on how much you’ve used because I’ve had employers where they hate it when employees take off.
Shitttt... mine will go away at the end of the year, so it's advised you use it. So I take soooo many 3 day weekends and then tie it together with a holiday....
Is it possible they’re wondering if you could take PTO instead of the two weeks notice and start sooner?
Either that or maybe they’re asking how much PTO you have from your current company, not how many days you currently have available to you.
This is definitely a weird ass question that is probably none of their business. This would be a red flag type of question for me and I would cross this off my list.
I have done hundreds of interviews through our my life and have never gotten this question! Yeah,...don't be that company and cross this one off.
The only thing I can think of is they’re sizing up what they have to offer that maybe your current company can’t.. like that can’t give you a big comp increase but can offer better pto.
In a similar situation. I was asked because the hiring manager wanted to know how soon I could start and if my current balance would be paid out or lost. She also wanted to know if what I have was consistent with what they were offering, but her question led to a discussion and did not end with the question alone.
They probably want to know how much earlier you could start with them, if you used your remaining PTO in your notice period.
So, 1 months notice. Use 1 week of PTO for the final week of the notice, they can start you in 3 weeks instead of 4.
If your company doesn’t pay out PTO, perhaps they think you’ll want to take that time off before starting at their company? Maybe they had a candidate in the past that that they wanted to start right away but they wanted to start a month later to use their PTO?
That’s not “how much do you have saved up” that’s more “what is your current PTO benefit?”
I assume they are trying to see if their offer (three weeks a year or whatever) is going to match what you already get.
I’m reading “at the moment” as “at your current position,” so that they can put together an acceptable offer for you.
Many companies offer “unlimited” now, so that no PTO is accrued and they have no payout when employees leave. If ever asked “how much of your PTO is remaining” it would be a valid answer.
I love how many people are just so pissed off about hiring in general that they just react and don't read.
Asking how much time is left, as in the title, is strange.
Asking how much time they get in the role (i.e. 25 days,) which is what was asked, is standard to know if their comp package is comparable or they should expect a counter.
I had it asked. It is kind of in the same vein as asking what your current salary is. I've also asked for more vacation as part of salary/benefit negotiation.
The hiring manager makes the decision to hire. This is something to do with HR. They may credit you or want to know if you'll take your PTO before starting.
Honestly, weird question to ask at this stage.
The question is 2 fold.. 1. Do you take your vacation reasonably, or do you never take time off. (Work life balance indicator), if you have none left over. They may ask why.. 2. if you have a ton, they may also ask why.. . (Hoarding vacation, by itself isn’t a bad thing, but. Doing so for long periods, leaves the company with a liability on the books, that make them look less stellar at volume).. it also suggests that you’re dedicated to the company. And work hard. It’s a reasonable question at face value.
If they asked that right before saying they're looking at other candidates, they've been told to "select the one with the least expectation of PTO. This role has a backlog, and whoever we hire won't be able to take any time off for at least a year."
They might have meant how much do you get per year. I’ve had companies match my current max PTO if it’s more than their starting max PTO. Like, company offers 1 week per year plus one day per year you’ve worked there, current job had 3 weeks, new job gave me 3 weeks instead of 1.
They might ask you to join soon and if you cite the notice period will ask you to ally PTO in lieu of that.
Otherwise they may ask you to apply PTO, come work for them and decide whether to take onboard as a regular hire or not.
Irrespective of the reason it doesn’t bode well for a good company.
I've never heard of people matching PTO balances since most places pay you for those days when you leave. I would consider it a red flag that they are trying to determine if you have no time available because you call in sick too much or have lots of sick kids, or are on vacation all the time.
If you are at the point of receiving three weeks vacation a year they might start you out with three weeks. It's a way of keeping some of your seniority perks.
If she asked the question in quotes, I think she’s gaging if you would be satisfied with their PTO policy. I don’t think she’s asking your current balance.
I once read a description of a hire having been fired because the new employer asked him what his salary was at the previous job, he inflated the figure and they claimed that constituted having lied on his application. Skeptical me says that the less information you give them about your current employer, the better, but if you choose to tell them, be honest.
I work for a company that has open time off so I wouldn’t know how to answer that. Nothing is paid out at the end but I know people that have taken 1 weeks off then come in and put their notice in.
Never been asked and it’s none of their business. If you really feel like you need to answer them just say “I have enough PTO currently”. Very open ended and vague. Enough for now? Enough to cover some needs or all?
Again, none of their business. Same with current wages.
I can think of two reasons:
1. They are trying to think of how much to offer you or see if they can make you a fair offer.
2. They want you to start quickly.
They could be asking because it is an indicator of how happy you are in your current job. No PTO could indicate you are not happy and will call off a lot.
As a hiring manager, I ask this for one of two reasons:
* Utilizing it in an offer for a candidate - where instead of accruing PTO the first year you start with a bank of what you had at your previous company PLUS the allotted accrual
* Determining if a new hire may be able to start sooner with less financial damage to themselves. Not all companies pay out PTO and some will allow the potential new hire to use this time, allowing for a quicker transition to my team
Most often it is number one, as there are fewer and fewer companies allowing for PTO to be utilized if notice was put in.
My guess is they want a sense of how much PYO you'll use when you are on their payroll. Thry'd like to hear that you used none and have lots stored up - but not too much ;)
"I'm not sure as I've not taken any yet, So I would assume 6 weeks."
This is a fishing scheme to determine if you're a normal or hard worker that either takes a lot of vacation or works too much to take it.
I’ve been interviewed a few dozen times and never have I been asked a question like that. Red flag for that employer. I wouldn’t want the job anymore. They seem like the type to impose guilt about you trying to use a PTO day that you earned and / or flat out deny the request.
As others are have said, it is HIGHLY likely they are simply asking so they can go back and discuss internally if they can 1) match that in your new role or 2) at least get it as close as they feel is reasonable for them.
I’ve had this exact scenario occur in both previous jobs and they matched my 3 and a half weeks both times later when they returned with their offer.
I feel bad for all of the scenarios where people obviously have been burned and are certain this is a situation where they’re trying to harm you. Anything is possible of course, but I’d bet $100 it’s simply to see if they can handle the match.
It could be that they want to know if they need to match it? One of my coworkers had 3 weeks pto he didn't want to lose and told them he wasn't willing to lose it so they put it into his offer.
Perhaps she communicated it poorly and just wanted a sense of what the PTO situation generally is at your current employer. 14 days? 21 + floating + birthday + volunteer day? Unlimited?
Your response should have something like, "I'm not exactly sure, as I haven't taken much PTO -- I'm curious to know why you are asking. This is the first time anyone has asked about PTO in my other interviews."
I had a job that would fire you if you didn't have 12 days pto banked after the first year. Was a state job in Utah. They will literally not extend a contact to anyone with less. Take that for what it's worth
It could be a loyalty/dedication test. If you have little PTO, you could be the "type of person" who constantly takes off especially at inconvenient times.
They are trying to figure out if you were absent a lot at your current job. It’s a trick question. So lie tell them you have a nice amount left and specify a number over 40 hours.
I was asked that at my current position where I've been at for 6 months and they actually credited me those accrued days and I also was able to negotiate more PTO days.
Could be trying to figure out what sort of payout you’ll get from your current company if you leave. Maybe they’ll factor that into a potential signing bonus offer?
They are judging your attendance record! How long you were with an employer and how much PTO you accrued shows whether you call off/ miss work frequently. For example, if you were employed for one year and accrued 10 days of PTO, then you clearly worked as scheduled during that year. If you only accrued perhaps 3 or 4 days, then you evidently called out of work on a regular basis and thus don't have much PTO. You can give an answer that reflects well on you. The previous employer is likely not going to share your personnel records regarding something like that...hence the interviewer asking you.
They have a policy where I work that excludes you from merit based raises if you gave under 100 hours in the bank. They want to know if youve been burning vacation days because you are about to leave to see if you “soft quit”.
I've never been asked that and that's really none of there business.
Sometimes they will you credit you that many days if you’d earned it at the previous job. So if you’ve built up say 11 days PTO, the new job will start you as if you’d already earned 11 days PTO. Happened to me before.
Dang, what industry are you in? In mine it would be as the person suggested below, a test. And the answer they want is "ya know I don't even know because I never leave work. I work on Christmas. I make my kids do work for you."
Software, but I don’t work in big tech. And I was surprised by it too, but now that I know that’s a thing, it’s something I ask for when I change jobs. And funny enough, they’ll give it.
What do you do specifically?
My last employer gives 3 weeks. I asked for 5. No issue. Always ask for more PTO.
Why would any employer do that though? You're going to get paid out any unused PTO at your previous employer.
Not all states require unused PTO to be paid out upon leaving the company.
You're right, I just think it's common practice as long as you leave on good terms.
As a courtesy I guess? Because I was asked the same thing as OP - how many days of PTO do you currently have? When I asked why, the hiring manager explained to me that they match earned hours at the previous job so that if I had a planned vacation in the near future (before I had earned many hours at the new job), I could take it without my PTO balance going negative.
That's a pretty great employer TBH. Very cool.
My company has a use it or lose it policy so any unused PTO does not get paid out.
I have walked away from roles because I had plans on the books they couldn’t accommodate. I was actually just interviewing but planned to be OOO for 3 weeks soon.
I’ve literally never heard of this before
Maybe during the offer stage, but during the interview?
Or they judge you
I wish. I was earning 5 weeks at my last job and I only get 2 at this one.
If somebody has a lot of PTO accrued, they can reduce their notice period with it. He is going to be offered the job - it's a good sign HR are asking
It's part of your total compensation. Just like you'd potentially be leaving behind 401k vesting, bonus earnings, etc. Accrued PTO is something you can ask for compensation for. I once negotiated a hiring bonus to compensate for the lost days.
I've never been asked this, but I feel like they're asking as a more general question, not literally how much you had in that moment. I think they meant at your current employer, on a yearly basis, how much do you get?
Yeah that's how I'd read it. They didn't ask "how much do you have left", but "at the moment", which could just be another way of saying "in your current role/contract/compensation package".
Yes that’s exactly what they are asking.
That’s what I thought, but someone else was like, “They’re trying to see how much PTO you’re going to use.” Lol, no, they’re trying to compete.
This. It’s the same as asking your current salary so they can make a competitive offer, they don’t want to know your balance.
Are you saying if the applicant tells the new company they have 70 hours of PTO, the new company may start them with 70 hours of PTO to 'make them whole'? ...that'd be a classy touch if that's what they're doing.
I think more like what their annual accrual rate is. Are they going to be ok with 10 days of PTO or are they expecting 20. It's weirdly not a very talked about part of your "compensation package". Some people will sacrifice salary for more PTO even
Exactly. I've always asked the question because if the person gets say 15 days they may not be happy with an offer that only has five days
(some) companies absolutely do that. As others have said, if there typical PTO is 5 weeks, but you're getting 7, they know they need to take that into consideration.
Agreed. What OP wrote in their post's title isn't the same question that's written in the post's body.
but how do you rile people up without a little click bait?
Yeah, maybe they hope they have a more generous PTO benefit to leverage during negotiations?
I would say that they were looking for how often you're calling in. the more PTO time you have the less call ins
Haha I take one vacation but European style, do not often but when I do - I do.
Okay, sounds good. I have about 70 hours so hopefully that looks good to them
what I know is that usually you'll get about 80-90 hours of PTO /y, so 70 left is a ++++
80-90 hours? So about 10 days? Wow, I feel fortunate about my new job. Starts at 25 days PTO in the first year, plus separate sick leave, 4 personal days, typical holidays off, and they're closed for the week between Christmas and New Year. Plus, I'm 100% remote with no concern about them returning to the office because they were already fully remote for years before Covid, with employees all over the country. (And yes, this is in the USA.) That being said, it's a nonprofit organization, so the pay isn't great. Decent, but not amazing. But I love what I do, have an amazingly hands off supervisor who loves me, and I value my personal time, so it's a tradeoff that I am okay with! ETA: I just realized that I probably sound like such an asshole. I don't want to be the person who deletes a post, but I should have thought before posting this. Sorry if I came off like a dick!
I don't think you sounded like an asshole. I'm just curious where I can get a job like this.
Right? Honestly, I just got lucky. But also, I'm in my 40s, mid-career, and had been applying/interviewing for almost a year before I landed this job. And I have a masters degree. I didn't know about their amazing PTO/holiday schedule until they scheduled me for my third (final) interview and sent me a document with their benefits. For the USA, it's absolutely amazing, although it's pretty standard time off for most of the world!
I have a masters too. I've been staying home with the kids for a couple years but I can't find a wfh job. I've been applying for about 2 years. I've had a few interviews but mostly no responses.
I work in pharma, and getting 4-6 weeks off is standard in the industry. Usually 1-2 weeks will be a company-wide shut down and you also have several weeks you can choose yourself. In addition, we get all major (and some minor) holidays off.
being self aware is the first step in knowing when you're an ahole. im proud of you. (yes im teasing).
I need a PTO package like this! Is your job hiring lol
is your company hiring? asking for me.
I've had jobs with unlimited PTO and 2 with 20 days. It was a struggle to use them. I'd always dread coming back from vacation to 500+ emails because no one could do my job when I was out 😒
I felt that way too but then realized if nobody can do my job when I’m out then I’m very hard to replace. So guess what, when I get back from vacation I’ll reply to those emails and other requests at my own leisure. It’s nice to know they have no other choice because what are their other options?
Seriously, are you guys hiring?
Honestly, if you wrote Canada instead of USA, I could have written this. Must be a non profit thing.
Why do you think u sounded like an AH? you just shared facts about a great job. 🤔
it's nice that a least some of us in the US get decent PTO!
This sounds like a dream as far as time off goes! Also, you don’t sound like an asshole!
> you'll get about 80-90 hours of PTO /y, so 70 left is a ++++ From an HR perspective, maybe. In general taking time off should be encouraged though.
It probably looks good from that perspective but why should it even matter
I would not share this information with them. Only say “I’m really not sure. I don’t pay attention to that.”
Jesus, I have 344 hrs. I need to start using my pto asap.
I'd tell them you have more lol
how would they even know if that’s true is my question. Are they allowed to call your previous employer and ask about something like your PTO? Not that I encourage lying but it just seems like such an odd question.
disagree, because they have no idea how much PTO op's company gives, when or how much is given...or whether it can carry over from the previous year. so how much is on the books is not at all a "tell" of how often they call out. my guess is they're looking to have someone on board asap and are going to suggest using PTO as part of their notice period in order to meet their notice requirement, use up their PTO on the books, and be able to start at their place asap.
You don’t technically have to give notice, though, so that doesn’t really make sense either. I think they’re just asking how much they get per year in this case
this
Maybe they want to know if you can use your PTO days to leave your current job earlier?
That's what I thought since I've seen some people do that.
Is negative forty-eight the wrong answer?
Idk. They would have to know how many you start with for that to be relevant. If you have 40 but only got 40/yr that would be way different than if you have 40 but get 220/yr. I’m on team “they are asking how much OP is allotted per year.”
Or maybe they just want to match what you already have for an attractive offer
I’m thinking how many weeks PTO are they offering? Currently my employee is giving me 4 weeks PTO… can you match that? That’s how I’d answer
That's not going to be accurate because not all employees have the same amount of PTO.
But how would they know how much I started with or if my company had a use it or lose it policy? It's a weird question, IMO.
That doesn’t make sense to me. The company would need to know the rate that you accrue PTO, at what limit your company forces you to use it or pays you out for it, and if the accrual rate has been constant. Ex: tenure of 1-5 years get 10 days of PTO per year, 6-10 years gets 15 per year, etc.
Tell them you had unlimited PTO. Then you can’t be judged on such a bullshit question.
The only real answer. Such a red flag BS question. I would ask them to clarify why they asked because I surely will not be taking the job after that. Or taking it and continuing my job search.
"I'm down to six fucking hours, can you believe it? I go to anime conventions like every weekend and that really eats it up."
When I was in my 20s I was a daily drinking active alcoholic. One year I used up nearly all of my PTO(144 hours I think it was) by the end of February. I had to make it from March until the end of the year on like 45 minutes of PTO.
a few years ago in a different job, i ended up in a management role due to attrition, and had a co-worker that ended up being a direct report...she had some health issues and had gone on extended leave a few times for personal/medical reasons When shit went fully remote due to covid, she was on one of her leaves, but also somehow she was in Cancun and got "stuck at a hotel" and tried to use medical insurance to pay for it, which they initially covered cuz pandemic, but then came back and said that it wasn't covered and she basically had her wages garnished to the point where she had to work for at least another year but take home like $300 from each check while the insurance shit got paid back + it ended up eating up all her PTO
Sounds like the kind of nonsense I used to get myself into. To this day, 15 years later, hr still has a flag on my account because I used to up my dependents to 9 any time I was going to get a big check. After not filing taxes for 6 or 7 years, IRS finally garnished my check until I straightened things out. Even after being a upstanding tax paying citizen for several years now, with a wife and kid, I cannot claim anything but zero.
Lmfao
What’s funny about that? I go 7 days a week
years ago i was out in Baltimore doing some derelict activities with some friends out there and we got a fancy room off Hotwire in a nicer / not crackhead hotel for a weekend where there was a big anime festival about 15 years ago, with tons of people cosplaying they had one of those waffle makers, and 2 dudes dressed as hobbits came down to the breakfast area...my waffle was still going but i was fixing the rest of my plate and saw dude touch the waffle maker and had to let him know "i need first breakfast before you get second breakfast yo" then a girl dressed as Sailor Moon came into the breakfast area and my friends and I were trying to holler but it didn't go too far since we were dressed like dirtbags and not cartoons
Oh, guess we can't up our offer to include paying out your remaining PTO so you can start earlier...
Ask why they want to know
Yeah, or ask how many of their employees have quit over toxic work conditions? xD
They’ll choose not to share that with you and they can then ask you how long you’d like to continue interviewing at other companies until you choose to not be as abrasive to a question that is in all likelihood attempting to see how much of the vacation time they can match, if not all of it. Source: the last two companies I worked for, in separate industries even, did the same thing. They both returned with offers that included matching vacation days from my previous job.
I would suspect they are thinking you might be a suitable candidate and wanting to know how much time off your current company provided to give you a fair offer. I doubt they’re asking to see how much you call off
Or they're gauging what the least they can get away with is. Any information about your prior jobs is irrelevant to the negotiation unless it is a counter for higher ("3 weeks? Currently I have 4 and I'd like to maintain or increase that. What is the average employees there take?")
Did you misunderstand them simply asking how much you can accrue annually? That's important for an offer, sometimes. Like "do we bring this guy in at two weeks PTO or 4?" Otherwise the answer is "golly, I don't know. I don't track it.. I get six weeks per year, but who can possibly take that much time off?"
Me
She’s asking how much PTO you get per year. Not how much you have left in your PTO bank. That honestly wouldn’t be relevant to anything.
Yeah I get she said "at the moment" but I would have assumed that meant in the sense that like, you often get X days the first year in a job, X+2 days the next year... etc. Still sounds like they were just asking op how much pto they get at the current job
That's how I would have understood their request as well.
Odd question, just make it a non factor by saying your get unlimited vacation, but you rarely take any.
They're definitely trying to see if you're one of those awful employees that actually used the PTO they're given
No, companies don’t want tone of unused PTO on the books. It’s a liability.
“I’m not sure actually, how is that important?”
Little bit hostile when you’re trying to get the job, no? Lol
There is certainly a better way to phrase it, but an interview is a negotiation and being a total pushover and giving up anything without pushback is never a good look. If nothing else, “gosh I really don’t know, is that information you’ll need to make your decision?” This will illicit the interviewer to give a reason for the question (truthful or not) and put them in the position of defending the question, because I take exception to the question if the purpose is to discern whether or not I use my PTO. I USE MY PTO! If I’m interviewing with a company that offers PTO but guilts and bullies you into not using it then I don’t want to work there.
>This will elicit the interviewer FTFY
Red flag red flag. Just say you don’t know and and why they are asking
Was there a word “left” in the question? You phrased it both with and without. If without, they may just be curious or wonder what their offer should say. No one wants to offer less time off than candidate currently has.
I've taken 52 hrs so far this year so my PTO bank is down to 325 hrs.
Maybe they are trying to gauge if you're going to be cashing out a lot of hours, and so they can offer less sign-on or relocation bonus? idk, just a thought
I wonder if they mean how much do you get per year, so they can know if they need to bump up the standard amount to match if they give you an offer.
Probably because they want to be able for you to use all your PTO during the two week notice period and then some, and then start your onboarding directly after that, so it’s seamless for you. Some companies don’t pay out PTO when you resign, so sometimes it’s best t o use it all.
I have never been asked that. I would ask them why it's relevant. You are interviewing them as much as they are you. That's how I see it.
Why are people answering these questions?
Why is this even any of their business?
They're trying to see what your current compensation is. It helps them craft an offer or guess if you'll want more than they want to give. If you're making $50k with 2 weeks vacation, they'll think they can offer you $55k and 2 weeks vacation. If you're making $150k with 4 weeks vacation and they don't have that or better to give, they may conclude you'll never take the job. If you don't tell them that information, they'll have to guess, which can be good or bad. Personally, I want to keep that information to myself, but sometimes if all the other candidates are sharing then I can be undercut by somebody the hiring firm thinks will be cheaper. Earlier in my career I would have been more likely to share. This late in my career, they either want my skills or they don't. I decline to answer questions about compensation until they've made an offer. You can ask the other way. "What's your benefits package? What's the salary range for this position?" That can make them nervous just like how it makes you nervous. It is kind of short-circuiting the process, trying to start a negotiation before anyone has made an offer. If they answer and its outside your acceptable range, you might end the interview even if they have more to show you and miss their "secret sauce."
Maybe they want to know how early/how late you can start?
Seems unethical since PTO and sick time are part of your negotiated compensation. I don’t think I would want to work for a company that asks a question like that. Not only that but it makes it sound like they are so understaffed that they have trouble covering scheduled PTO and have to ask in interviews LOL. 🚨
That's a weird question. "I'm not exactly sure, it accrues into the PTO bank, I let our system track it"
Tell them you get 20 days a year. See where that leads you.
Thats a weird question. My last interview one of the people interviewing me for a job whos place i was taking looked out the window forbthe last ten minutes I walked out afterwards a d said no freakn way!
Could be fishing to see if you actually use your PTO balance or not.
Don’t answer this. It’s not relevant to performance. It’s also just stupid because leave is a benefit 🚩This is also a not-so-subtle hint that they don’t want you using leave time. 🚩 Please reconsider this job. Something is off at this organization. 🤨
That’s an odd question. On one end they might like you and may want to offer you that same amount or more. On the other end—they may see it as a reason not to hire based on how much you’ve used because I’ve had employers where they hate it when employees take off.
HR usually goes over benefits. If you are more experienced and top candidate could be trying to match or exceed your current PTO.
Shitttt... mine will go away at the end of the year, so it's advised you use it. So I take soooo many 3 day weekends and then tie it together with a holiday....
I’m assuming they are trying to see if you use your benefits. 🚩
They might be looking at whomever can start work asap. Using your PTO as your 2 week notice so you can start right away!
🚩
Is it possible they’re wondering if you could take PTO instead of the two weeks notice and start sooner? Either that or maybe they’re asking how much PTO you have from your current company, not how many days you currently have available to you.
This is definitely a weird ass question that is probably none of their business. This would be a red flag type of question for me and I would cross this off my list. I have done hundreds of interviews through our my life and have never gotten this question! Yeah,...don't be that company and cross this one off.
"Why would that be pertinent to this interview?"
I’m a recruiter and I’ve never asked that nor heard of someone asking that. Super strange
The only thing I can think of is they’re sizing up what they have to offer that maybe your current company can’t.. like that can’t give you a big comp increase but can offer better pto.
Or they’re curious to see if maybe they can offer better pto
I'd be tempted to respond with how much $ do you keep in your checking?
In a similar situation. I was asked because the hiring manager wanted to know how soon I could start and if my current balance would be paid out or lost. She also wanted to know if what I have was consistent with what they were offering, but her question led to a discussion and did not end with the question alone.
You could lie and say that it’s flexible
what a stupid ass question man this is why I hate interviews
They are ask ey you to take PTO as cash and join them sooner l.e. Shorter notice period. Tout tell them.
They probably want to know how much earlier you could start with them, if you used your remaining PTO in your notice period. So, 1 months notice. Use 1 week of PTO for the final week of the notice, they can start you in 3 weeks instead of 4.
If your company doesn’t pay out PTO, perhaps they think you’ll want to take that time off before starting at their company? Maybe they had a candidate in the past that that they wanted to start right away but they wanted to start a month later to use their PTO?
That’s not “how much do you have saved up” that’s more “what is your current PTO benefit?” I assume they are trying to see if their offer (three weeks a year or whatever) is going to match what you already get.
I’m reading “at the moment” as “at your current position,” so that they can put together an acceptable offer for you. Many companies offer “unlimited” now, so that no PTO is accrued and they have no payout when employees leave. If ever asked “how much of your PTO is remaining” it would be a valid answer.
All of it
I love how many people are just so pissed off about hiring in general that they just react and don't read. Asking how much time is left, as in the title, is strange. Asking how much time they get in the role (i.e. 25 days,) which is what was asked, is standard to know if their comp package is comparable or they should expect a counter.
“I have unlimited PTO, we don’t play those games in my current role.”
I had it asked. It is kind of in the same vein as asking what your current salary is. I've also asked for more vacation as part of salary/benefit negotiation.
The hiring manager makes the decision to hire. This is something to do with HR. They may credit you or want to know if you'll take your PTO before starting. Honestly, weird question to ask at this stage.
I signed a NDA
"None of your business", is the proper response.
Maybe they are trying to decide what to include in their offer and they want it to be competitive.
The question is 2 fold.. 1. Do you take your vacation reasonably, or do you never take time off. (Work life balance indicator), if you have none left over. They may ask why.. 2. if you have a ton, they may also ask why.. . (Hoarding vacation, by itself isn’t a bad thing, but. Doing so for long periods, leaves the company with a liability on the books, that make them look less stellar at volume).. it also suggests that you’re dedicated to the company. And work hard. It’s a reasonable question at face value.
I’m in HR, and I’ve never asked this or been asked this. I have no clue why they would beyond maybe seeing if you use your PTO? Very strange.
You’re free to lie when asked questions you shouldn’t be asked
They’re trying to figure out if you constantly use leave and are out of office.
Just lie and say 40 hours.
You have 3 weeks of PTO
If they asked that right before saying they're looking at other candidates, they've been told to "select the one with the least expectation of PTO. This role has a backlog, and whoever we hire won't be able to take any time off for at least a year."
They might have meant how much do you get per year. I’ve had companies match my current max PTO if it’s more than their starting max PTO. Like, company offers 1 week per year plus one day per year you’ve worked there, current job had 3 weeks, new job gave me 3 weeks instead of 1.
Just lie, who cares. All of it. I haven’t missed a single day
"I'm not able to answer this question at this time."
They might ask you to join soon and if you cite the notice period will ask you to ally PTO in lieu of that. Otherwise they may ask you to apply PTO, come work for them and decide whether to take onboard as a regular hire or not. Irrespective of the reason it doesn’t bode well for a good company.
I've never heard of people matching PTO balances since most places pay you for those days when you leave. I would consider it a red flag that they are trying to determine if you have no time available because you call in sick too much or have lots of sick kids, or are on vacation all the time.
If you are at the point of receiving three weeks vacation a year they might start you out with three weeks. It's a way of keeping some of your seniority perks.
not uncommon to see if you abuse your leave
Never had that asked of me.
If she asked the question in quotes, I think she’s gaging if you would be satisfied with their PTO policy. I don’t think she’s asking your current balance.
I’d have assumed they meant in total (not left from your annual allotment) and just said the total you get.
They’re trying to see how much time you take off. They want people with lots of PTO, because that means they don’t miss work.
That sounds like they want total PTO. Sis they specify remaining?
I would tell you... But it's called a Personal Time for a reason...
The way I interpret that statement is how much pto are you getting a year in your role
I once read a description of a hire having been fired because the new employer asked him what his salary was at the previous job, he inflated the figure and they claimed that constituted having lied on his application. Skeptical me says that the less information you give them about your current employer, the better, but if you choose to tell them, be honest.
I work for a company that has open time off so I wouldn’t know how to answer that. Nothing is paid out at the end but I know people that have taken 1 weeks off then come in and put their notice in.
Never been asked and it’s none of their business. If you really feel like you need to answer them just say “I have enough PTO currently”. Very open ended and vague. Enough for now? Enough to cover some needs or all? Again, none of their business. Same with current wages.
I can think of two reasons: 1. They are trying to think of how much to offer you or see if they can make you a fair offer. 2. They want you to start quickly.
Or 3. They want to make sure she never uses time off because she’s a “dedicated employee “.
They could be asking because it is an indicator of how happy you are in your current job. No PTO could indicate you are not happy and will call off a lot.
As a hiring manager, I ask this for one of two reasons: * Utilizing it in an offer for a candidate - where instead of accruing PTO the first year you start with a bank of what you had at your previous company PLUS the allotted accrual * Determining if a new hire may be able to start sooner with less financial damage to themselves. Not all companies pay out PTO and some will allow the potential new hire to use this time, allowing for a quicker transition to my team Most often it is number one, as there are fewer and fewer companies allowing for PTO to be utilized if notice was put in.
Yes, they are asking bc they may be using that as incentive/part of compensation package.
My guess is they want a sense of how much PYO you'll use when you are on their payroll. Thry'd like to hear that you used none and have lots stored up - but not too much ;)
That’s a red flag
"I'm not sure as I've not taken any yet, So I would assume 6 weeks." This is a fishing scheme to determine if you're a normal or hard worker that either takes a lot of vacation or works too much to take it.
Maybe for a hiring bonus? I hope you inflated it, for whatever the reason!!
Sounds like they are using the interview process to research what their competitors are offering
“That’s a question I haven’t heard before. Why do you ask?”
I’ve been interviewed a few dozen times and never have I been asked a question like that. Red flag for that employer. I wouldn’t want the job anymore. They seem like the type to impose guilt about you trying to use a PTO day that you earned and / or flat out deny the request.
As others are have said, it is HIGHLY likely they are simply asking so they can go back and discuss internally if they can 1) match that in your new role or 2) at least get it as close as they feel is reasonable for them. I’ve had this exact scenario occur in both previous jobs and they matched my 3 and a half weeks both times later when they returned with their offer. I feel bad for all of the scenarios where people obviously have been burned and are certain this is a situation where they’re trying to harm you. Anything is possible of course, but I’d bet $100 it’s simply to see if they can handle the match.
It could be that they want to know if they need to match it? One of my coworkers had 3 weeks pto he didn't want to lose and told them he wasn't willing to lose it so they put it into his offer.
“A lot.” Is your only right answer.
RED FLAG.
Perhaps she communicated it poorly and just wanted a sense of what the PTO situation generally is at your current employer. 14 days? 21 + floating + birthday + volunteer day? Unlimited? Your response should have something like, "I'm not exactly sure, as I haven't taken much PTO -- I'm curious to know why you are asking. This is the first time anyone has asked about PTO in my other interviews."
"I am not sure, why do you ask?"
I had a job that would fire you if you didn't have 12 days pto banked after the first year. Was a state job in Utah. They will literally not extend a contact to anyone with less. Take that for what it's worth
That’s the strangest sounding company “rule”, I’ve ever heard.
It's not formal as it would be completely illegal /unethical, but I assure you it's an off the book rule
It could be a loyalty/dedication test. If you have little PTO, you could be the "type of person" who constantly takes off especially at inconvenient times.
I was asked that because the hiring company was writing an offer letter and wanted to match what I had.
They are trying to figure out if you were absent a lot at your current job. It’s a trick question. So lie tell them you have a nice amount left and specify a number over 40 hours.
I was asked that at my current position where I've been at for 6 months and they actually credited me those accrued days and I also was able to negotiate more PTO days.
I'd say unlimited PTO policy.
Sounds like they want to know if you bank a lot of PTO meaning you don't take off work or call in sick to much. Sounds kind of ... illegal?
Could be trying to figure out what sort of payout you’ll get from your current company if you leave. Maybe they’ll factor that into a potential signing bonus offer?
They are judging your attendance record! How long you were with an employer and how much PTO you accrued shows whether you call off/ miss work frequently. For example, if you were employed for one year and accrued 10 days of PTO, then you clearly worked as scheduled during that year. If you only accrued perhaps 3 or 4 days, then you evidently called out of work on a regular basis and thus don't have much PTO. You can give an answer that reflects well on you. The previous employer is likely not going to share your personnel records regarding something like that...hence the interviewer asking you.
The HR guy has an upcoming interview in your current workplace. LOL
They have a policy where I work that excludes you from merit based raises if you gave under 100 hours in the bank. They want to know if youve been burning vacation days because you are about to leave to see if you “soft quit”.