PTO and Your Culture Go TogetHR

August 24, 2017 | Sabrina Clay, CCWP
 
Paid time off is difficult for both the employer and the employee. Studies show that people just aren't taking time off. And time off is good for the soul and your company.
 
According to a U.S. Travel Association report, 658 million vacation days went unused by American workers last year.  With reasons varying from fear of returning to a mountain of work and feeling no one else can do their job, a shocking 22 percent said they wanted to show a complete dedication to their job. But at what cost?
 
You want to provide work-life balance for your employees (and quite frankly yourself), but what is the best approach? When determining the best time off policy, it's important to consider your culture.  While difficult to recognize, ask yourself if your culture creates an unspoken stigma around taking time off. Do managers hesitate to promote time off because it will over burden them? Your managers may be subtly discouraging employees from taking time off and not realize it.
 
Perhaps you turn the tables to promote and anticipate vacations. 
 

1. Promote leaders in your company to mention their vacations, and inspire others to take theirs as well.  Often an employee won't take time off if their leaders don't either.
2. Promote manager's time off as an opportunity for growth within the staff. This will give employees an opportunity to spread their wings and showcase skills you may not have known exist.
3. Promote employees to support each other while on vacation. Giving employees a chance to step in can also help with succession planning and identify where processes, tools, and training may be missing.
4. Anticipate time off when planning projects. Planning for gaps will help with the success of a project and promote a team approach.
5. Anticipate the amount of time needed for the returning employee to get caught up. Your employee is freshest after time off, so give them some room to get back into the swing with fresh ideas and a renewed lease on life.

 
Another critical component to time off policies is your messaging.  We know there must be rules, but how are they communicated? Do they come across as strict and cold?  Vacation is fun, so make your rules around vacation fun as well.  For example, We’re going to miss you while you're out, but we want to know when to start missing you! Please let us know (insert timeframe) prior to taking your getaway.  While this may sound silly, it helps to ease any tension that may exist.
 
It may be helpful to get feedback from your employees. Surveys tend to be impersonal, but focus groups can provide some truthful information on how your employees view vacations and the company's PTO plan. Remember, the most generous vacation packages are meaningless if the culture does not support taking time off.

---