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Two-thirds of Workers Would Self-impose Caps With Unlimited PTO, New Survey Finds
Two-thirds of Workers Would Self-impose Caps With Unlimited PTO, New Survey Finds
Patriot Software survey of 1,000 U.S. workers finds widespread confusion, generational divides, and financial strain around paid time off policies.
CANTON, OH / ACCESS Newswire / March 26, 2026 / A new national survey of 1,000 employed Americans, conducted by Patriot Software, explores how workers understand and use paid time off (PTO). The results revealed that confusion and cultural anxiety around leave policies cause employees to take significantly less time off than available, even when policies are designed to be unlimited.
Key findings include:
66% of workers would take 15 days or fewer annually under an unlimited PTO policy.
91% say unlimited PTO should include a mandatory minimum time off requirement.
27% of women say their current PTO feels unfair for the work they do, compared to 20% of men.
40% of Millennials have taken unpaid leave after exhausting their PTO; another 25% needed to but could not afford it.
The results suggest that removing limits from PTO policies does not automatically increase time off. Instead, employees often rely on workplace culture and management behavior to determine what amount of leave feels acceptable.
"Encouraging PTO use comes down to two things: employers who respect their team's time enough to say 'step away,' and employees who trust their workplace enough to actually do it," said Patriot Software's CEO, Kyle Quinn Dreger.
The data points to a simple takeaway: flexibility without clarity isn't a benefit. Employees want to know how much time they can take, and that taking it won't cost them. The full survey results are available at patriotsoftware.com/blog/payroll/paid-time-off-confusion-survey/
Methodology
Patriot Software surveyed 1,000 employed adults across the United States. Participants answered questions about PTO structure, fairness expectations, behavior under unlimited policies, and experiences with unpaid leave. Responses were analyzed by age, income, and gender.
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About Patriot Software
Patriot Software is disrupting the accounting and payroll industries with its low prices, highest customer reviews, and award-winning software. Patriot offers cloud-based accounting, payroll, HR, and time and attendance software solutions that help American businesses with up to 500 employees simplify their administrative tasks. Patriot's US-based customer support team provides a personal touch that most software companies lack today. The company has been serving tens of thousands of businesses nationwide since 2002.
For more information, please contact:
Rachel Blakely-Gray
Content Manager
[email protected]
www.patriotsoftware.com
SOURCE: PATRIOT SOFTWARE LLC
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
(B.Smith--TAG)
