By the fall most employees would have used much of their PTO on spring and summer trips but with hardly anywhere to go with the COVID-19 pandemic, unused PTO has oiled up at many companies. Usually by the fall, employees have used much of their paid time off (PTO) on spring and summer trips.
Should you encourage employees to take PTO? Depending on your PTO policy, those leftover days will either be:
- Lost
- Rolled over
- Paid out
By considering the impact on both your employees and your business, you can develop a strategy to address a surplus of unused vacation days that puts everyone in the best position in the future.
Your employees probably need a break.
If you have employees working from home for the first time, initially it probably felt like a vacation just to skip their commutes and perhaps stay in pajamas.
But by now, that novelty has worn off. And we’ve learned that working from home is definitely not a vacation.
Instead, it’s a new abnormal that sometimes means:
- Spending more time in front of screens
- Working longer hours
- Feeling confined
Or perhaps your employees have continued going into the workplace amid the pandemic. They might feel like they’re putting their health on the line for the sake of a paycheck (and their livelihood).
Those conflicting feelings between risk and the need to earn a living can be taxing on an individual.
No matter your employees’ unique case, chances are they need a break.
Time away from work is always necessary for employees to avoid burnout and bring the most productive energy to their work. During an especially stressful season, it’s even more important.
Here are four actions you can take that should help reduce a buildup of unused vacation days:
- Lead by example.
Take days off yourself and encourage other leaders in your organization to do the same.
If you rarely take a vacation, your employees will have a hard time believing it’s truly okay for them to do so.
Share your plans with your employees and demonstrate the benefits of some rest and relaxation by sharing pictures and stories when you get back to work.
- Provide ideas.
You can combat the “nowhere-to-go” mindset by creating and distributing a PTO guide full of:
- Day-trip ideas in your area
- Local volunteer opportunities
- Other local activities that may help employees:
- Get exercise or rest
- Spend time in nature
- Make meaningful connections with friends and family
- Enjoy music and the arts
- Talk about PTO often.
When your team members use PTO, encourage them to share how they spent their time with colleagues after they return and with you during one-on-one meetings.
Ask questions, show genuine interest and avoid any joking remarks that may make using PTO seem like a negative (e.g., “Who approved that?”).
Not only does this sharing help inspire more of your employees to use their time-off, it also becomes a team-building opportunity that strengthens social connections among your staff.
Remember: at the end of the day, building real, human connections with your team is an effective way of creating an environment of trust and understanding.
- Give employees time to catch up.
It’s not very much fun to go on a vacation when it seems like everyone else is counting down the days until you return and respond to their messages.
After your employees take PTO, tell them you know they have a lot to catch up on, and then give them the time and space they need to properly go through their missed calls and emails.
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