What is a personal day?A day off for life, not for vacation.
A personal day is a paid day off for things that aren't vacation or illness: moving house, a child's school event, a legal appointment, a religious observance, or a day you just need. Some companies give a few personal days on top of vacation, others fold them into one PTO bank.
Here's how personal days differ from the rest, how to ask, and how a manager should handle them.
Personal day vs PTO, vacation and sick days
Vacation is planned rest, usually booked weeks ahead. Sick days are for illness and medical care. Personal days are the rest: short notice, specific reasons, usually one day at a time. In a combined PTO bank, all three come from the same pool. A floating holiday is similar, but meant for a holiday the company doesn't observe.
Companies that give separate personal days usually give one to three a year, often granted on January 1 and not carried over.
How to ask for a personal day
Give as much notice as you can, say the date, and say you'll make sure your work is covered. You don't need to give a reason: “I'd like to take a personal day on Friday the 12th” is enough. If something's due that day, say how you'll handle it.
Mental health days
A mental health day is a day off to rest and recover when you're worn out, stressed or close to burnout. Most companies don't have a separate category for it: you use a personal day, a sick day or PTO. Many sick leave policies, and some state laws, cover mental as well as physical health.
If you need one, you don't have to say why. If mental health days become frequent, that's a signal worth talking about, with your manager or a doctor.
For managers
Say yes quickly and don't ask for reasons. Plan for short-notice days the way you plan for sick days: no single point of failure on critical work. If someone on your team takes no time off for months, that's the conversation to have, before they need a mental health day.
Short-notice days without the drama
No reasons needed
A personal day is personal. Don't ask why.
Quick answers
A same-day request deserves a same-day yes or no.
Cover the critical work
Make sure every critical area has a second person.
Watch for patterns
Frequent mental health days are a signal, not a problem to police.
Put it on the calendar
So the team knows who's out today.
Model it
Take your own personal days, and say so.
A day off is easy to give.Noticing who needs one is harder.
Personal and mental health days are usually short notice. A team calendar shows who's out today, and over a few months, who hasn't had a day off at all. This board is live.
Who's out today
Short-notice days show up on the team's board right away.
Who never takes a break
Look across months and the person with no time off stands out.
Key dates warn you
A release date names who's away on it.
- Everyone's days off on one board
- Spot who hasn't had a break
- The release date warns who's away
- Drag a day off onto any row
See who's out today, and who hasn't had a break.
Forgot shows the whole team's time off on one timeline, from a single personal day to a two-week trip.
- Custom types like Personal day
- Everyone's time off on one timeline
- A warning when someone's out on a release date
- Your team sends dates without signing up
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Questions
What is a personal day?
A paid day off for reasons other than vacation or illness, like moving, a family event, an appointment or a religious observance.
Do I have to give a reason for a personal day?
Usually not. Give the date and how your work will be covered. Some policies ask for notice, but not a reason.
Is a mental health day a sick day?
Often it can be: many sick leave policies and some state laws cover mental as well as physical health. Otherwise, use a personal day or PTO.
How many personal days do companies give?
Companies that give separate personal days usually give one to three a year. Many others include them in a single PTO bank.