As organizations look for new strategies to engage their employees, one HR trend has emerged: mandated time off. Under this model, companies require employees to use a certain amount of the time allotted for vacation or sick days. While the concept is still young and details vary by organization, I can tell you that it helped me avoid burnout.
I had been working at Compt, an employee perk stipend software company, for eight months when our CEO, Amy Spurling told me to choose a week to take off or she would choose for me. I had taken a few days here and there before, but never a full week. I kept pushing back; there was always a lot to do. But apparently never so much that I shouldn't take a vacation, according to Amy.
We say it jokingly, but it's true — nothing is going to explode if it waits until tomorrow. And pretty much everything can wait until tomorrow, especially when it comes to managing sanity. It's part of our company culture to embed a solid work-life balance for all employees, leadership team included. I knew that if I was going to talk the talk, I had to start walking the walk.
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When I saw one of my direct reports had scheduled time off at the end of the summer but considered canceling because some changes were happening on our team, which resulted in an increased workload, I dropped the same hammer that had been dropped on me. I made her take the time off and the rest of us stepped in to help so she could fully embrace the "out of office" message. When we tell people to unplug — whether it's for a day or a week — we truly mean it. It takes a lot of trust among the team, but mandatory PTO has been a game changer for our startup, and it can be for your company, too.
Benefits of forcing employees to take a break
As the phrase suggests, more companies are mandating that some amount of time — even just a few hours — be taken off from work each year. The reasoning is twofold: first, it allows employees to take care of their mental health needs; second, it helps employers retain valuable workers who may otherwise leave due to an overabundance of stress at work.
Emphasizing the importance of health and wellness as a part of mandatory time off policies is a great way to support your team in taking care of themselves. It's also backed by research. When people take the time needed to rest and recharge, they're able to be more engaged and productive at work. In fact, one study found that employees who were given mandatory vacation time reported
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Benefits exist for both employers and employees in multiple ways. First, mandatory time off creates a culture where people feel comfortable taking time off when they need it instead of feeling guilty about taking time away from work or not performing at their best due to a lack of rest. Second, it gives employers the incentive to make sure each employee has all the tools necessary to succeed at their jobs while being able to manage stress effectively, without sacrificing their own mental or physical health. If employees are missing true work-life balance, they will burn out.
Yet while these offerings seem like a good idea on paper, they can
Aside from the heavy lift companies claim unlimited leave is due to cost or compliance, the unfortunate truth is that, in the United States, many employees are not given any paid time off. Actually, it's the only country in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (which includes 36 of the world's wealthiest countries) that doesn't require annual paid leave for workers. The
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Paid time off is a huge differentiator for companies that are looking to attract and retain top talent,
But we know that bodies don't need to keep chairs warm to see results. While short-term absence may increase, organizations that have a comprehensive absence management plan along with health and well-being programs in place are able to better support total rewards for employees.
In fact, short-term absences — taking a day off here and there for mental health, going to doctor's appointments, chaperoning field trips, or doing other meaningful things for overall wellness — are key to
How can you support employees with mandated time off
While this model requires the use of the time allotted for vacation or sick days, it's more beneficial when companies follow an unlimited PTO policy.
The first step is to create a program that can accommodate the needs of all types of employees. It's important to consider how they will take advantage of their time off and whether you want to set any restrictions on what they do with it or limit the amount of time they're allowed to use. Although, setting too many restrictions negates the purpose of this concept.
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Having the following elements in place allows for organization and structure:
- Mandatory paid leave for all employees with allowances for mental health days
- A policy on how to request and use mental health days
- An employee assistance program (EAP) to help employees manage stress and well-being
For companies with larger workforces, a mandated time off the program can be a powerful tool for improving morale, productivity, and retention. To ensure your company's success in implementing a mandated time off program, follow these steps:
- Review your current policies and procedures regarding vacation accrual so you have an accurate understanding of what employees are entitled to receive under existing policies before beginning the process of developing new ones.
- Decide what kind of benefits will be offered through your mandated time off program (i.e. higher pay while on leave or additional paid time off). If possible, document these benefits by creating an employee handbook that clearly states when employees should expect their first paycheck following the start date for their leave period(s).
- Adapt accordingly. As your company grows and the needs of your employees evolve, so should your vacation policy (among others).
It's important to note that employees should feel like they are able to use their time off in any way they choose without feeling like they are sacrificing their job security or productivity. Forcing people to take time off seems like an easy sell — who doesn't want more time to enjoy their personal lives? But the truth is that toxic workplace culture has long been instilled in employees, making people feel
Setting and supporting boundaries helps, too.
When employees are away, make sure they're completely offline. Too many of us have a terrible habit of checking email when we should be mentally checked out. A team approach helps ensure this happens. Make sure employees know when a coworker is on vacation and not to disturb them. Kindly remind them that email and communication tools allow for scheduled messages (a beautiful invention), but also make sure they don't inundate someone's inbox with emails that could have waited for their return. Nobody likes to be slammed with work on their first day back; it can be overwhelming and discourage them from taking time off in the future.
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If you're an employer, consider encouraging or mandating time off for your employees. This can be especially helpful for those who have a habit of taking just a few days off each year (or worse, no days at all). When people are required to rest and recharge, they'll feel less stressed or guilty about doing so, making the time off much more valuable. In a world of work where employers are so concerned with engagement and productivity, nothing is quite as effective as empowering people to care for themselves.
