PTO
PTO (noun) means Paid time off: leave from work that an employer still pays for, often held as a single pooled allowance covering holiday, sick days and personal days. Example: “I've got six days of PTO left before the year ends.”
How to Use PTO
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDays off work that you still get paid for.
The paid-time-off sense is standard American workplace English; British employers say annual leave or holiday. 'Please turn over' is chiefly British and now old-fashioned.
In US job listings, PTO almost always means paid time off; on a farm or in a manual, it means the power take-off shaft.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
I've got six days of _____ left before the year ends.
Etymology
An initialism, standing variously for paid time off, power take-off, parent-teacher organisation or please turn over.
Synonyms
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between PTO and vacation days?
Traditional systems give separate buckets — so many vacation days, so many sick days, so many personal days. PTO merges them into one pool you draw on for any reason, which gives more flexibility but means a bout of flu eats into the same allowance as your holiday.
What is unlimited PTO?
Unlimited PTO removes the fixed allowance and lets employees take leave as needed with manager approval. Studies repeatedly find people take less time off under it, partly because there is no accrued balance to lose and no clear norm for how much is acceptable.
What is the difference between a PTO and a PTA?
Both are parent-and-school groups. A PTA is affiliated to a national parent-teacher association with dues and shared rules, while a PTO is an independent organisation set up by a single school, free to run its own way and keep all the money it raises.