This is my last post of the 2010—as many HR professionals find the week in between Christmas and New Years to be a slow time of year, I thought it’d be a good time to take a week off, which got me to thinking, do most people use all of their allotted vacation time mapped out in their benefits plans?
I ask because I know that I have team members that schedule a PTO day but then end up coming into work because there is so much going on that they can’t afford to be away from the office. I know that I make it a point to try to use all my days and this year and I’m proud to say that if all goes according to plan I will.
Our policy when it comes to PTO is use it or lose it, so when the end of the year approaches I count up my days and start taking off. I’ve also read about companies encouraging their employees to take off by paying for part of a vacation, which is a pretty nice deal.
But if you are one that won’t use all of your days, you’re not alone, recently Westin Hotels & Resorts surveyed more than 1,500 American professionals and found that more than 64% had to cancel a vacation this year despite the fact that 58% felt that they were more in need of a vacation this year than last.
So besides the use it or lose policy and paying for portions of employee vacations (Expedia.com has implemented this benefit) how can employers ensure that their employees are taking much needed time off?
- Scrap your vacation policy. Instead allow employees to take time off as needed. This policy won’t work for everyone, but it can work for an organization that has employees that are truly dedicated to their jobs. At the moment, they’re not taking their vacation time, not because they believe their job won’t be there when they get back, but because they are dedicated to what they do. The take time as needed policy will show employees that they are valued and trusted and in return you’ll have happy employees.
- Lead by example. If you’re the head honcho, set an example. A lot of times employees feel guilty taking time off because they see their boss or boss’ boss burning the midnight oil and not taking their own time off. If you’re the boss, make sure you set an example and take a vacation yourself—this tells your staff that it’s okay for them to do the same.
- Create a no check in policy. This policy will allow you to actually enjoy your vacation. This starts from the top though, if the boss can go on vacation and trust that the company will survive in their absence then so can everyone else.
- Tell employees that they’re valued. Telling your staff that their hard work has not gone unnoticed will reinforce to your employees that they deserve the time off to de-stress and come back to the office refreshed.
- Realize that not everything will get done. By accepting this, you won’t be stressing out the whole time you’re out of the office.
