Paul McCarthy is forcing his workforce to
At hospitality solutions platform SevenRooms, where McCarthy is chief people officer, company policy mandates that all employees take five consecutive days off in the first and second half of the year. Those who have been with the company for over five years must schedule 10 consecutive days, and those with seven or more years must schedule 20 consecutive days. Additionally, all new hires get their first two weeks of employment as PTO.
"This was about putting action where our mouth was," says McCarthy of the policies, both of which were implemented in 2022. "And as a result, we've seen a dramatic shift in how people feel about working here."
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In SevenRooms' mid year engagement survey, their employee health score was 90%, which is up by 19 points from the summer of 2021. McCarthy shares what drives him to prioritize a culture of rest and respect in the workplace.
Why are you so intent on prioritizing rest at SevenRooms?
The phrase, 'We appreciate your business' applies to employees too. We know that you have choices, but companies forget that. Our employees could have worked anywhere, but they continue to choose to work here.
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So we have to make sure we do right by them. Our people have been working very hard through COVID and burnout — and regardless of the news or reporters asking if this is to get more candidates through the door, I want to be clear that we do what we do because it's the right thing.
What's a source of inspiration for you as you navigate the HR world?
I have a husband who is originally from Germany, and a lot of the things that I believe around treating people well come from conversations I've had with him. We talked about the greatness that lives in people and what we can do to celebrate people as human beings who chose their paths versus just capital.
