Sheri Carpenito has enough experience working in corporate America to know that achieving work-life balance can seem impossible.
Carpenito, 48, is currently a senior director of operations at a health care company and lives in Boston. Over the course of her 20-plus years of career, she has learned that it is important for her to have strong boundaries around paid leave.
Two years ago, when she was offered a vice president position at a healthcare company 10 days of PTO -Inclusive of both vacation and Sick time — I learned that a 25% pay increase would not make up for lost flexibility.
Carpenito was already working at a job she enjoyed when a recruiter reached out to interview her for a high-level operations role at a new company. She was curious and accepted the invitation.
However, Carpenito noticed when the CEO said during an interview that she was struggling with work-life balance and that company policies didn't do much to help. “It wasn't specifically about PTO, but that's part of it,” Carpenito says.
Looking back, Carpenito says she should have cared red flagBut she kept giving interviews and eventually got an offer.
Declined a job offer via PTO
Carpenito admits the salary offered was “generous” and would have been a roughly 25% increase over her previous job. But upon reviewing the benefits, she learned of the 10-day PTO policy, “and that wouldn't work for me.”
She figured that managing vacation throughout the school year for her two sons, now 12 and 15, could easily eat up all those paid vacation days. This will leave no wiggle room for unexpected illnesses or other vacation needs.
“For me, as a mother of two, being able to have that flexibility of 10+ days off throughout the year was really important to me and my family at that point,” she says.
Carpenito says she was caring for her sick mother at the time.
(Paid time off) sets a precedent for what the company values and what it values for its employees
Carpenito says she tried to negotiate for more paid vacation days — she was used to at least 15 days a year from her previous jobs. She even tried to negotiate her contract to include an unpaid leave allowance of one to two weeks if necessary, which the company also rejected. Furthermore, Carpenito remembers that the recruiter asked her to make a decision within a day, which was too fast for her.
The possibility of a significant pay raise made the decision more difficult, but Carpenito ultimately declined the offer. She says no Discussion about PTO It was likely a sign that she and the new company were not a good fit.
Carpenito sees the PTO conversation as bigger than just getting a few extra vacation days: “It sets a precedent for what the company values and what it values for its employees. Knowing that they trust you and offer that flexibility is the kind of environment I want to work in at this point in my career.”
Plus she's worried that The company's lack of flexibility It will limit her abilities as a people manager. “I am a highly productive person, and I expect good results from anyone who works with me,” she says. “But I'm also a big advocate: Work shouldn't take away from family time. So working in that environment as a manager is not something I was interested in.”
Clarifying priorities
Carpenito says she was in the fortunate position of being able to turn down the job without experiencing financial pressure. While unemployed workers or those who need a better job may not have as much leverage to say no, she encourages job seekers to make sure they are clear about what they need from the role.
Be clear about your basics “And the nice things you have about the job, whether that's about the role itself, the company, or the benefits on offer,” says Carpenito. Set your priorities and stick to them, whether that's a certain salary, good health benefits, opportunities for career advancement, or something else.
“If it's a priority, ask for it,” Carpenito says. “If you don't ask, you won't get it.”
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