We know how important taking time off from work is. It allows us to disconnect from work, spend time with family, create new experiences, explore some creative interests. It’s good for our emotional and mental well being. 

But for some people, taking time off is stressful. Maybe they’re buried under debt so the thought of taking a vacation is a distant dream. Or maybe they just have so much built up paid time off (PTO) from, say, working in healthcare nonstop due to COVID. It feels really stressful to think you built up a huge bank of PTO because you showed up as you should, only to potentially lose it because you don’t use it.

This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Rob Whalen, CEO of PTO Exchange, an organization that helps organizations create solutions for employees to self-direct the value of their unused paid time off for other needs and causes. There are so many options that can create a culture of support and meeting employees where they are right now.

In the episode, we talk about different types of PTO exchange, why supporting employees in this way can reduce turnover, the value of bringing different roles into the organization’s customer experience, and more. It’s such a practical and needed way to meet the customized needs of every team member.

About Rob Whalen:

Rob Whalen is the co-founder and CEO of PTO Exchange, the leading benefits platform that allows employees to self-direct the value of their unused paid time off for other needs and causes. He is a serial entrepreneur that has over 25 years selling and developing software and hardware products, and a BA in accounting from Seattle University.

While building the company, Rob and his co-founder, Todd Lucas, found their mission was to enable flexibility into those benefits that employees earned but could not utilize. They also discovered that by enabling this capability and accountability, PTO Exchange created equity and inclusion for workers to be compensated for their accrued productivity creating a better benefit.

PTO Exchange was selected as a “Cool Vendor of the year” by Gartner in 2017 and awarded “Awesome New Technologies" at the Health and Benefits Leadership Conference in 2018.

Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:

• PTO Exchange
• The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly
• Join the monthly digital subscription