Like most consulting firms, we have a shutdown from “December 24th - January 1st”. But we also have an “unlimited PTO” policy.

I started end of July this year, and reached out to my engagement manager and told him that I’m planning on traveling and will be OOO starting December 13th instead of the 24th.

He said this is too much and that he can’t guarantee what the workload will be like.

Am I being unreasonable by taking an additional 9 days off?

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Tell him you’re not asking for permission, but giving him the courtesy of a heads up.

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This.

His inability to project staffing needs that far out is not sufficient justification for denying your PTO request.

Tell him you need to close on travel details this week. Offer up a few days in the middle of the PTO period if you think the project timelines warrant it.

I promise you that unless it’s eCommerce, no one at the client will be working past Dec 21.

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Bear in mind that assuming 24 PTO days/year, I would accrue 10 days by the week of December 13th.

Accrual rate is irrelevant. Unlimited PTO by definition has no accrual.

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That's usually quite a busy period as people rush to get things done. The issue isn't number of days by itself, it is the combination of number, concentration, and concerns about handling the workload. Have you proposed a backfill plan? Can you take the first 9 days of January instead?

This is kind of nonsense. In what sector is the period just before the holidays very busy? You get productivity the week after Thanksgiving, and a little bit of the following week, tops. Between holiday parties and the generally festive and relaxed mood, Mid-late December is usually a low risk time to take vacation.

OP’s manager sounds at best overly cautious and at worst someone who enjoys exercising a little bit of power. January is always when the cold reality of winter sets in and people go back to being productive.

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