August 11, 2020

Taking Time Off

 

The middle of a global pandemic sounds like a pretty bad time to try and take a vacation, right?

Not so fast.

It actually may be the best time to take some time off. But that doesn’t mean booking a hotel on the beach or taking a road trip. Taking time off means taking time to turn the off switch and not worry about your day job.

For some, that’s been difficult since early March.

“The pandemic has blurred the lines between home and work, making it more difficult for people to let go of everything work-related when at home, but also figuring out how to be accountable,” LaSalle Benefits President Bill Gimbel said in a Benefit News article.

There could be a variety of reasons why employees haven’t been taking PTO, especially when the summer months typically are the most popular time to do so.

Ask why

Apex HR Consultant Brooke Salazar said in a recent episode of Casually Caffeinated: HR Conversations Unscripted she’s seen cases at companies were employees aren’t using vacation time.

Salazar said employers need to investigate.

“People are holding onto PTO, and the first thing I say is to ask, ‘Why?’” Salazar said. “If they haven’t been taking PTO, why not? You may hear a lot of different things.”

Salazar said managers can ask why through a poll, or even meet with employees individually. The kinds of responses could include:

  • There’s no where to travel to right now
  • Hoping the pandemic situation will improve by the fall
  • Saving time because someone at home is high-risk
  • The company’s policy has a PTO payout for laid off employees

Those are all valid concerns employees could have. Why take PTO if there’s no place to travel to or if someone in the household gets sick and that time off has been burned?

Set an example

A response employees might not give you out loud, but may truly be thinking,  is, “There isn’t any time to take PTO.”

Managers can set the example by, despite how busy they are at work, reprioritizing work tasks and deadlines in order to take time off themselves. Salazar said when a supervisor takes time off, their employees will likely follow the lead.

“I had a client that thought this was a non-issue, and I told him to take a day off and see what happens,” Salazar said. “the next week he had three PTO requests from people on his team. When you exhibit leadership like that, you’re really laying the path for your employees because they’re going to do what you do.”

Encourage unplugging

Some workers have felt a nonstop grind since the workforce shutdowns in March. While a number of workplaces have reopened this summer, some companies are still entirely remote.

That makes it difficult for employees to feel like they aren’t working around the clock.

“The lines are so blurred right now between work-time and home-time,” said Apex Compensation Consultant Katherine Bryant. “People still may be going to the office and still working long hours.”

PTO can give employees that needed push to unplug.

As a manger, encourage them to not open their email during their time off or even touch their laptop. Also, assure them that taking time off does not mean even more work will be waiting for them when they return.

Update policies

The pandemic could be a time to update the company handbook, according to a SHRM article.

See if the PTO policy needs reworking, even if temporarily, to help employees feel more comfortable using their days off. However, make sure you’re following guidance from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act if an employee requests time off because of COVID-19.

Some companies may decide to make changes such as increasing carryover into 2021. However, as Bryant notes, unused PTO days are a line item and can cost the employer money.

Find a way (and time)

The big picture is there’s really not a better time to take a few days off.

The pandemic has been the source of stress, long hours and probably some burn out. If you as an employer is feeling the burn, take the time off. Your better health and your employees will thank you for it.