Jason Buechel, 46, leads a hectic life as the CEO of Whole Foods Market, but that doesn’t mean he neglects self-care.
“I highly prioritize PTO,” he told Fortune. “So I do use all of my allocation each year.”
Since Buechel became the CEO of Whole Foods Market in 2022, he has led a hectic life with a packed daily schedule and often travels for his job. Work balance is a priority; he should set an example for his team members. Though his daily schedule is hectic, he takes time for himself. This includes using his PTO.
Using all his PTO is an integral part of Buechel’s healthy lifestyle. He also believes that he must lead by example, and using PTO is essential to a worker’s mental health. PTO was acquired based on seniority and the total number of years working with Whole Foods Market. In the past, Whole Foods Market allowed employees to cash out their unused PTO. Many workers opted to do this, even estimating how much they could earn by not using their vacation hours. One person calculated that 2,000 unused PTO points would be about $26,000 and posted on a Whole Foods Market Reddit thread.
Not taking PTO and instead cashing out is not surprising, considering a recent Calendarlabs survey of workers worldwide. Workers reported that 40% were burned out, 80% felt guilty if they took vacation hours, while 38% of US workers said they didn’t use all their allocated PTO hours, even if this meant forfeiting those hours.
Whole Foods Market changed their policy, limiting the amount of hours that can be cashed out to urge workers to use their PTO.
“It’s one of the things we’ve changed within Whole Foods Market,” Beuchel says. He believes the new policy will lead to staff taking their PTO and improving their work-life balance. As further encouragement, he often asks his team members what they have planned for their vacation.
Taking PTO is an integral part of Buechel’s self-care, but so is his daily routine, which he shared with Fortune.
Buechel starts his day at 6 am by checking his phone and going through emails. Afterward, the runner with six marathons under his belt heads out for a five to six-mile-long morning run. This is followed up with a smoothie breakfast that includes mushrooms, vegan and vanilla protein powder, bananas, chia seeds, oatmeal, and peanut butter. Before commuting to downtown Austin, where the Whole Foods Market flagship store is located, Buechel starts work around 8 am by responding to emails. He’ll also listen to the news or a podcast.
Lunch is a no-brainer for the CEO.
“I happen to work above one of the best places to eat in Austin,” Buechel says.
Buechel can walk down to the Whole Foods Market salad bar. His breakfasts and lunches are vegan.
Work is done at 6 pm. To “stay active,” Buechel works out or walks. Dinner isn’t vegan but includes animal proteins, which he buys at Whole Foods.
Buechel reads before bed but makes sure to get six hours of sleep. On his long day, it’s lights out at midnight.
So, how does a busy CEO use his PTO?
Buechel enjoys traveling but also takes advantage of Austin’s live music scene and outdoor life by hiking, participating in outdoor challenges with friends, and watching sports.
“For me, it’s making sure I always have time to unplug and that I’m taking care of myself,” he says. “I look at it as having an enriched life.”
