should we have to use PTO to attend a work conference?

A reader writes:

I work for a small nonprofit in the U.S. A colleague and I were invited to attend a conference later this year through our service on an external committee where we represent our agency. All conference expenses would be covered by the external partner; the only cost to our organization would be our salaries during that time.

Our executive director approved both of us attending, but with the condition that we use PTO for the days we’re away. The rationale given was that the conference is not required by our organization, is considered voluntary professional development, and the agency lacks funding to offer comparable opportunities to the rest of the staff.

We’ve agreed to these terms, but it feels off to use PTO for what is essentially a work-related trip where we’re representing our employer. I understand employers have discretion over PTO policies, but I’m wondering whether this is standard practice and how reasonable it is.

How would you recommend raising this concern or advocating for this time to be treated as paid work rather than PTO, especially in a small nonprofit context?

No, this isn’t standard practice and it isn’t reasonable.

That doesn’t change because you’re at a small nonprofit. In fact, it’s almost more offensive because it’s a small nonprofit: you’re probably already not making a ton of money, and now they’re going to make you use PTO to attend a work conference on top of that?

But even if you were well-paid, this should be a no-brainer: you’d be representing your employer, the conference is work-related, it’s work time.

In fact, I’d recommend that you not attend at all if you have to use PTO for it. It’s absurd that you’d lose multiple days of vacation time in order to do something for work.

If you want to give it one more shot, though, then say this: “We don’t want to give up X days of vacation time for a work trip where we would be working and representing the organization. Does our attending have value to Org? If so, this should be considered work time, not vacation time. If it doesn’t have value to Org, then it won’t make sense for us to attend and we’ll plan not to.”

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