If PTO is part of your compensation package, then effectively, it's part of your earned wages. When an employer implements restrictive use policies combined with a “use it or lose it” approach, it may prevent workers from fully benefiting from all aspects of their compensation.
If you are unable to use earned PTO due to restrictive policies, or scheduling issues controlled by your employer, and then lose it due to expiration, it essentially means you’re not receiving the full compensation you worked for.
When unused PTO is forfeited back to the employer, it can result in financial benefit for the employer at the expense of the employee. This might improve the employer’s bottom line, but it does so by withholding earned wages from employees.
Fair compensation practices should ensure employees can either use or be compensated for the accrued benefits that they agreed to work for.