Hey HR and SLT, if you need heads to RIF, start looking at people who have unlimited PTO. Start tracking it because it’s obvious these people’s responsibilities are not needed when they’re out on vacation ALL THE TIME. I have never seen such abuse of the system. Every time I tried to look for someone to get something done, I find out they’re on PTO. I seen managers and medical directors out on 1 to 1 1/2 weeks vacation every month. Their bosses just approve it while us lower level associates work our butts off, have to justify our PTO, and find coverage. Then we worry about getting offshore or RIF. Come on, think smarter, Elevance! Save your money by trimming the fat off the top, not the bottom!
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@1dj
Manager here - no longer coming in early or staying late, no more weekends. I work to meet standards. I did far more last year and got a cr-ppy raise and AIP - so I am working to my pay. Not running a facility so no need to be on call - there are no emergencies at an insurance company. My director is off monthly on the regular and has had 4 vacations of 2 weeks this year alone, same as last year., leaves early when desired. This is the first year Managers got unlimited PTO - I agree with a prior poster, the culture of this place has changed a great deal since Gail and not for the better. I get my work done, but not more. My team is working to meet standards, they learned the same lesson. Hard work is not appreciated or acknowledged.
I don’t know any manager abusing the unlimited PTO , at least in my area. Studies prove without an actual number , people use less pto overall. I know I feel guilty just taking time off for MD appts. Most managers and directors previously had 4+ weeks of PTO , due to longevity , so using 3 weeks of PTO is not out of line. Remember, the work still needs to be done. I know as a manager, I am always on call. I often come in early, stay late and work weekends. Even on PTO, I am looking at emails , answering them,. Putting out fires and getting calls from my team. That’s part of the job and I’m not complaining! Just remember the grass isn’t greener, once you get there and again, at least in my area, the managers care about our teams and do our best for our staff.
@w8 it’s tracked until it’s not. It all depends on if you submit it and if your manager enforces it. Previously you did not need to do it and some don’t enforce the new rules now.
Technically, it is tracked in workday.
@ee whether or not unlimited PTO is tracked depends on who your boss is. I know of a medical director who doesn’t submit PTO because she never had to in the past and still doesn’t to this day because her boss doesn’t monitor. I guess it’s luck of the draw.
and side note: they cancelled the mandated return to office for many people in manager/director rolls 3 days per week. we dont have to do it. so su-ks to be you guysl
@dw Hmm, we were told if we are on PTO anytime, to make sure you still go in the required number of in office days. So is it only for folks like me that don’t have unlimited PTO?
@e2 I think it depends. My manager acts like she’s afraid to take PTO, but her boss has already taken 3 weeks this year. All other managers that report to the director have taken at least a week. So even though unlimited PTO sounds great, I think some feel taking any PTO counts against them. If you feel like the person you report to doesn’t like you then I can see how this policy can actually make some managers take even less PTO under this policy
@ej Most states don’t make the company pay out unused PTO when you are riffed so this policy really isn’t saving much for the company. There are states that require it but it doesn’t mean anything now with unlimited pto. The whole policy just further divides leadership from worker bees. It’s yet another d-mb policy from leadership. Maybe they did it to retain people who now have to go in 3 days a week. But they could’ve just not put the 3 days in office in effect.
@eg I hear you. Sounds like CM in particular has crummy directors. Maybe consider asking your manager how often they meet with the director or interact with the director. While you have never heard your manager say it, it is far easier to assume the director is useless rather than asking what tey do. It is easy to generalize, but there are also some really good ones in other places and departments. Re: carryover- they do that to high paying positions so that in the event they rif them, they dont have to pay them for carried over pto whereas other positions do get that compensation. So ultimatly, for directors who do not abuse or overuse their PTO, or the person below who doesnt take any, they dont get their PTO and they dont get that compensation.
@ee - when Directors are out they are out - I am also in CM and my manager handles everything. None of us have ever heard her say she has to wait for the Director to do anything. And people have coverage - so none of this makes sense. We rarely ever hear from the Director except for those rare quarterly meetings where she clearly is not aware of issues or doesn't care to respond. Our Manager handles our issues.
If you have unlimited PTO what difference does it make it there is "no carryover benefit" if it is unlimited clearly that is "carried over".
I’m in CM and too have noticed an increase in absences from my manager and director in CCN, not just more during the summer but throughout the year. I don’t know what’s going on but I do know my manager always show pictures of her vacation to us. Maybe to rub it in or maybe proud that she gets to go on PTO all the time.
As with any benefit there are some people who abuse it, but employees who have unlimited PTO generally take less time off work as noted by someone below who said they havent taken any. Unlimited PTO does not come with any kind of carry over benefit, nor in the event of a RIF, payment for unused PTO. Unlimited PTO IS tracked. Earlier this year policy went into place requiring them to enter it into workday. Most director positions do not have the luxury of not working on PTO because they still have to put out fires, respond to problems and check emails. Additionally, when everyone else gets a day off for all of the scheduled holidays? They don't.
@ae Clearly, you are the exception.
Has anyone else noticed a pattern with one of the directors in the HS area? They seem to be out of office more often than not—whether it’s vacation, personal time, or something else. This isn’t intended to throw shade, but it’s hard not to notice when leadership presence starts to feel more like a cameo appearance than a constant source of support. It’s unlike anything I’ve observed in other areas, and it raises questions about continuity, accountability, and the ripple effect on team engagement. It makes one wonder how thier constant absences impacts their team and the company's values and goals. You can't have a positive impact on any of these things if you are never here. Makes you wonder what's going on with their leadership.
Directors have been abusing their endless PTO for several years, it applied to that level and up until recently. This abuse has nothing to do with not going into the office if they are on PTO - it is just an added bonus.
@c0 I saw in the FAQ that if you have PTO scheduled, assuming more than 3 days in the week, then you don’t need to go in the office. So that’s the loophole those people are taking I guess. Vacation and not needing to go in? SCORE!
Agreed! I have a manager on the CM team that is on vacation all the time. I can never find her when I need her. Her lead does all her work for her.
I have noticed a lot of abuse of this new unlimited PTO policy by Directors also. What is the point of driving them into offices three days a week if they are always on PTO?
Maybe audit for waste and abuse within our own company! There are cost savings right there! I can tell you there are lot of corruption in the Carelon clinical UM CM sides especially the managers, directors, medical directors, SVP, and above. Start pulling data and audit. It’ll be eye opening!
I have unlimited PTO and haven’t been able to take more than one day of actual PTO in years. Which roles enable people to take real PTO, and weeks of it at that? More importantly, are there any open positions?
Directors have more PTO per month than anything I have ever seen - one has so far this year had 5, 2 + week vacations. Unreal