‘We all know what happens in this week between Christmas and New Year’s’: Man warns workers to not take PTO around holidays, sparking debate

TikTokers are sparring about when is the best time to take paid time off (PTO).

TikToker @chelseazeferina posted a video earlier in the week to urge workers to schedule their PTO for the holidays. She claims that existing company holidays can help employees snag a 10-day vacation around the holidays if they take off Dec. 27-30. "We all know what happens in this week between Christmas and New Year's: No one works. So you should really be taking this time off anyway," she says.

@ragazzirobusti stitched the video to warn workers against this advice, arguing they should take advantage of the lull in productivity around the holidays.

"Do not do that," he says in the video. "I mean, all due respect to this content creator, she just popped up on my For You Page for the first time ever. I'm sorry to attack you, ma'am, but that advice fucking sucks. Anybody who works a job, corporate, whatever, if you are dealing with PTO and HR, do not listen to HR when they tell you what they would suggest for the times you take your PTO."

@ragazzirobusti #stitch with @CHELSEA 🍓✨☀️ // Do not do this. This is terrible advise. Do not take HR’s suggestions for when you should take PTO. They will tell you to take PTO between the holidays while your coworkers clock in, do nothing and hold onto their PTO. 🚨🚨 THIS IS ADVISE THAT HELPS THE COMPANY AND THE COMPANY ONLY — NOT YOU, THE EMPLOYEE, YOUR TIME OFF, YOUR HOLIDAYS WITH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, YOUR WALLET OR YOUR PTO.🚨🚨 Also, weekends and federal holidays aren’t “vacation” days, Chelsea, they’re rights given to the workers of the world, so it’s actually a five day “vacation” youve outlined where no one’s doing anything anyway. 💋💋 #workersrights #worklife #corporate #HR #PTO #employeesoftiktok ♬ original sound - dillon.

"In that video she admits that nobody works in the days between Christmas and New Year's,'" he continues. "Everybody knows it. Everyone recognizes it. She goes on to say that, 'We all know that's the way it is, so you really should take your PTO on those days.' Hard pass, absolutely not."

He then stops to urge workers that if they have PTO saved up, they should take it right now. "Then, between Christmas and New Year'

s, show up to work. Do nothing. Say it with me, 'Rarely does HR have your best interests at heart,'" he says.

@ragazzirobusti reiterated in the caption that HR sometimes encourages workers to take PTO around the holidays. "This is advise that helps the company and the company only—not you, the employee, your time off, your holidays with your family, your mental health, your wallet or your PTO," he wrote.

In response, @chelseazeferina commented on @ragazzirobusti's video, stating she prefers to take that week as vacation, rather than "sit in an office with nothing to do."

"I think it’s personal preference!" she wrote. "I usually travel that week and prefer to spend more time with my family."

Some similarly preferred the approach of leveraging federal holidays in combination with PTO, especially if they work at a workplace that gets busier during the holidays. Others agreed with @ragazzirobusti's take that the slow nature of the holidays was enough of a break.

"That’s when I love to work because everyone else takes off," one commenter wrote. "So quiet and while I work I get a few X-mas movies in."

It seems that the majority of workers, however, currently use @chelseazeferina's approach to PTO. According to a Namely infographic released in 2022, while people took the longest vacations in the months of June, July, and August, the month of December was by far the most popular month for workers to take PTO. According to the infographic, that's when workers took the most PTO.

The Daily Dot has reached out to both @ragazzirobusti and @chelseazeferina via Instagram direct message.

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