When people use their PTO, it can actually help improve productivity, build retention, and lead to more reliable coverage in the long run. Find out more

PTO can be challenging, but proper planning, training, and scheduling can all help make time away go smoothly. Here are some PTO best practices for managing salaried associates.

Schedule smart, and early:

Use templates and work with your management team to maintain a time off schedule for your store/club. Consistency and transparency are important, so try to plan schedules as far in advance as possible.
 

On the other hand, try to stay flexible by working around PTO requests and planning for salaried PTO during the Schedule Right Review process.
 

Set expectations:

Make sure your leadership team knows how many requests are allowed at once, as well as any blackout dates. This will depend on the size of your facility and management team. For example, only allow two assistant managers to be off at a time, and only one Store or Club Manager or Co-Manager.
 

Remember that associates need to use their PTO grants to relax and recharge, so don’t let LOAs reduce the number of associates who can request PTO.
 

And if someone requests a day of PTO, go ahead and give them the day off. Don’t just schedule them to work a different day or stress over shift-swapping—that doesn’t help associates come back refreshed, and it keeps them from using their PTO.
 

Resolve Conflicts:

Scheduling conflicts and coverage gaps will happen. Move people around to solve them, and be creative if you have to. For example:

• If an assistant manager is normally scheduled for 8 a.m.–6 p.m., have them come in two hours later, so they’ll help fill the gap without working extra hours. 
• If there are still gaps, you can upskill and leverage hourly supervisors to cover management gaps. 
• If an hourly supervisor isn’t ready to take on additional responsibility, work with your people partner to borrow talent from other facilities. 

Want to make sure everything runs smoothly when you’re away? Use these PTO checklists to make life easier for you and the person who’s covering for you.
 

For Store/Club Managers:

• Before requesting PTO, make sure there will be enough coverage.
• Make sure your PTO is approved.
• Create a recommendation for coverage while you’re out and work with your Market Manager for approval.
• Make sure your team knows the dates you’ll be out, and set expectations for workload and coverage.
  • For Walmart, you can also do this during the Schedule Right Review process.
• Make sure everyone knows who will be the manager in charge.
• Update all people tasks (evals, GLMS, attendance tracking, schedules, etc.)
• Check apps like AMP and PlanIt for critical tasks and assign them for completion.
• Hold a meeting to go over PTO coverage and expectations.
• Create notes to provide guidance for specific direct reports (metric goals).
• If you’re out for more than three days, work with your Market Manager to determine if your facility needs additional support, such as a drop-in Store/Club Manager.
• Put an Out of Office message on your email, including your return date and who to contact while you’re away. 
   

For Co-Managers/Assistant Managers:

• Before requesting PTO, work with your management team to address scheduling and coverage.
• Make sure your PTO has been approved.
• Work with your Manager to identify a peer to cover your area.
• Make sure your team knows the dates you’ll be out, and set expectations for workload and coverage.
• Hold an area meeting to go over PTO coverage and expectations.
• Make sure everyone knows who will be the manager in charge.
• Update all people tasks (evals, GLMS, attendance tracking, schedules, etc.).
• Create notes to provide additional guidance for specific direct reports (metric goals).
• Create daily checklists for days you’ll be out and send to supervisory direct reports.
• Put an Out of Office message on your email, including your return date and who to contact while you’re away.
• ASM: Make sure supplies are ordered.
• Fresh Assistant Managers: Verify that the week’s fresh production is laid out.
   

For When You Return:

• Review and identify top priority items.
• Set aside time with your covering peer to go over a detailed PTO checklist.
• Set up area tour times with your direct reports.
• Make sure people tasks (evals, GLMS, attendance tracking, schedules, etc.) are updated.
• Create and communicate an action plan with your leadership team to help complete your checklist. 

When it comes to PTO for salaried associates, there are a lot of misconceptions about when and how you can use it. So, we’ve taken some of the most common PTO myths and busted them for you.

If I take time off, management will think I’m not committed.

Absolutely not. We know that taking time off to rest and relax is important. It boosts retention and morale, decreases unplanned absences, and is good for your mental health.
 

I feel like PTO is just for taking vacations.

Actually, you can use your PTO for just about anything, from running a marathon to caring for a sick kiddo. You can even use PTO to cover the waiting period before short-term disability benefits kick in.
 

I heard PTO can only be used in week-long blocks. So, if I need a day off during the week, I have to swap shifts with someone.

Nope. You can use your PTO in any block of time you want. And you can definitely use it for a single day.

Doesn’t Walmart have a strict three-month blackout period for PTO?

Not quite. We want to be able to deliver for our customers, so it’s important to be fully staffed during our busiest shopping times:
 

• The week before and week of Thanksgiving
• The week before and week of Christmas
• Up to two additional weeks determined by the Store Manager (e.g., back to school, inventory, etc.)

But these six weeks are the only blackout periods for salaried associates in Walmart stores. Blackout periods will vary for Sam’s Club facilities.
 

We have an annual planning cycle, so I have to plan all my PTO in February, right?

Planning everything ahead would be great, but life just doesn’t work that way. Sometimes you need to use PTO for things you can’t plan for, like being sick or taking care of a personal matter.  That’s why planning for time off is ongoing and flexible. You can use the PTO Tracker on OneWalmart to help you plan your PTO for the year. For better planning and visibility, a quarterly review of management schedules and PTO (e.g. Schedule Right Review for Walmart associates) is important, so try to anticipate your time-off needs for the next three months.
 

I can only carry over five unused days of PTO at the end of the year. If I have more than that, I lose it.

You don’t lose any of your unused PTO! But too many unused days may reduce your grant for next year. Associates who have more than five unused days at the end of the plan year (in most locations) will have their grant for the next year reduced.    

Another way to prepare for PTO is to understand where people are coming from. Check out these different personas to learn why salaried associates use—or don’t use— their time off, and how you can help them maximize their PTO potential.