Don't kill yourself for a job that don't care about you

That’s the way to not get into the: “he was one week from retirement situation lol.” Two months paid retirement before retirement. Not too shabby I admire your dad.

If you have a reason to take time off do it. That’s what it is for. If you need a day now and then to do something for a day or for your mental or physical well being- do it. If you fond yourself needing or wanting to call in sick to a job regularly that is a sign you need a new job. I’ve had days off where I end up wishing I’d have gone to work because I didn’t do anything or enjoy the time off. Plenty have. There’s no reason to take the time off just because it is there- only if taking it had some value to you.

“Unlimited PTO” is becoming more a thing- but companies are reluctant to give it to employees because people who think like this will abuse it. When you have “unlimited” or “untracked” PTO- you’ll never get paid anything at all for time not used when you leave. You can (theoretically) take as much time off as you like as long as your work gets done and it isn’t disruptive. It allows you to leave mid day or work from home or all sorts of flexibility to live your life. But the entire system relies on honesty, integrity, and not having the mindset here that you should try to abuse PTO to spend as little time at work as possible. Sick time is for being sick. If you don’t get sick you’d technically never use any.

The fact they pay it out at all when Federal law doesn’t require is actually nice (even though I think all unused PTO should be 100% paid out.) People who abuse things are why so many things suck. Companies feel justified in their often shabby policy to employees because when they try to be kind people take advantage.