Not long ago, our CEO, Tina Hamilton, wrote a column about a trend that’s subtly growing in large corporate workplaces across the country: rolling back paid time off and related benefits. In some cases, companies are trimming benefits to cut costs. In others, the shift is cultural. Employees increasingly feel too busy, too uncertain, or too replaceable to actually use the time off they already have.
And lately, we’ve been thinking about it even more after internal conversations about how to better support team members going through difficult personal situations, along with reading an article in The HR Digest about compassionate leave policies.
Because maybe the real issue isn’t whether companies offer enough PTO. Maybe it’s that the way we think about leave no longer reflects the reality of people’s lives.
Employees can plan vacations.
They can’t plan grief.
Or a beloved family member’s diagnosis.
Or burnout.
Or a miscarriage.
Or the moment life suddenly becomes heavier than work.
That’s where the conversation gets deeper for business leaders.
PTO Still Matters. A Lot.
PTO is one of the most important benefits that companies offer.
Rest matters.
Recovery matters.
Time away from work matters.
In her column, Tina talked about how concerning it is when employees stop using paid time off altogether. Usually, it’s not because people suddenly became less tired. It’s because something in the culture shifted.
They’re afraid to fall behind.
Afraid to look replaceable.
Afraid to appear less committed than everyone else.
And when that happens long enough, burnout becomes normalized.
But maybe many organizations are realizing something else: Traditional PTO policies don’t fully address the kinds of pressures employees are carrying today.
The Workplace Has Changed
With remote and hybrid arrangements being the norm, the lines between work and life are blurrier than they’ve ever been.
Employees are caregiving longer.
Supporting aging parents.
Managing mental and physical health challenges.
Navigating economic pressure.
Raising children in a world that feels increasingly expensive and unpredictable.
And unlike traditional vacation time, many of today’s biggest life challenges don’t arrive with advance notice. That’s part of why conversations around compassionate leave are gaining more attention.
Compassionate leave is really about recognizing that employees are still people outside of work. Life happens. A parent gets sick, there’s a death in the family, an accident, or some kind of personal crisis that suddenly demands someone’s full attention.
In those moments, most people aren’t in the right headspace to perform at their best anyway. They may physically show up, but mentally and emotionally, they’re somewhere else. Giving employees space to step away, handle what they need to handle, grieve, support family, or just breathe for a minute, is often the right thing for both the employee and the business.
The Best Employers May Be Expanding the Conversation
This isn’t about creating endless time-off policies or removing accountability.
It’s about recognizing reality.
Employees do not stop being human when they come to work. And the companies that retain people long-term are often the ones that respond well during difficult moments.
Traditionally, compassionate leave policies focused mostly on immediate family situations. But a lot of employers are starting to think more broadly about what support should look like depending on the situation and the culture they’re trying to build.
Sometimes compassionate leave means:
expanded bereavement policies
flexibility during caregiving situations
mental health support
phased return-to-work options
or simply giving managers permission to lead with humanity.
None of those things eliminates performance expectations.
But they do build trust. And trust matters more than ever right now.
Culture Is Defined During Difficult Moments
Most companies can create a good culture when business is strong and life is stable.
The real test comes when employees are struggling.
People remember how organizations respond during grief, illness, burnout, family emergencies, and overwhelming seasons of life much more than they remember office perks or motivational slogans.
That’s why leave policies are more than an HR discussion. They’re a leadership discussion.
Employees are paying attention to what companies prioritize when things get hard.
A Final Thought
Businesses are under pressure right now.
Margins matter.
Productivity matters.
Sustainability matters.
But so does building an organization people want to stay with for the long term.
The companies that stand out over the next decade probably won’t be the ones that simply reduce benefits fastest or squeeze the most output from exhausted employees.
They’ll be the ones who understand something simpler:
People can work hard and still need support.
People can be committed and still need rest.
And people rarely forget how they were treated during the hardest moments of their lives.
If you're curious about how you might be able to support your team members who are going through a tough time, we’re always here to talk. Let's have a conversation.
May 20, 2026
