No, if you have a cold that should be sick leave, what stupid system do you have in the US?
Yeah, but sick leave should not be limited, and it should not be requested from an employer, the employer should be notified. As I understand, PTO does not work that way.
Regarding the amounts of PTO, it depends on the company. Some companies donβt offer it, so if you get sick and canβt go to work then you can stay home and get better but you donβt get paid. Those jobs suck and from what Iβve seen those jobs have high turnover due to people going to other companies for better benefits, like getting PTO. Most companies offer it, but in limited amounts. I personally get 5 days a year of paid time off, not including vacation time/LOA/Floating holidays, but Iβve utilized 11 days this year, I just didnβt get paid for 6 of them. I think there are some companies that offer unlimited PTO, but I would guess those are only for experts in their fields and stuff.
PTO isnβt requested, itβs notified, as you described. If I get sick, I donβt ask my employer if I can take the day off, I tell them Iβm not feeling well and Iβll be staying home and utilizing PTO. Thatβs how itβs worked for me at multiple different jobs.