Or think about it this way, would you rather have 2 weeks of PTO or one week of vacation and one week of sick leave? Or even 2.5 weeks PTO vs 2 weeks vacation and 1 week sick leave and you need to provide a reason for the sick leave?
I much prefer PTO over some mixed policy, even if the mix is technically more time off.
Because people will abuse it, which sucks. And if you go with an unlimited PTO option, there’s often a lot of cultural pressure to not take PTO.
so discipline those that abuse it? It’s really a symptom of not engaging with your workforce on a realistic level. Many non-American countries deal with it adequately. In the UK your sick days don’t come out of your vacation, and if you need more than a week off you have to get a doctor’s note.