According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 80% of American workers have access to paid leave as of March 2021. Nearly 70% of those individuals get a certain number of paid sick days at their disposal, 29% get it as part of a plan in a PTO bank, and 2% get them on a per-diem basis. But the likelihood that Americans will actually take these paid days off is slim. Research from Statista shows that over the past five years, an average of 25% of people took absolutely no paid sick days off, and even more decided to forgo any paid leave for a vacation. So what would happen if this time off was mandated? And why should it have to be?
What is mandated time off?
Mandated time off is when an employee gets paid sick leave or paid time off, but it’s required to take that time off by your organization. It includes a set number of vacations every single year. Often, these policies require employees to take at least five consecutive days off in a row or one full week. But sometimes, it can be longer. In Germany for instance, there are a number of national holidays that employees must take off during and vacation is highly valued.
Why does time off need to be mandated?
The idea that we need to force time off is a little odd for some, but it’s a harsh reality for many. Hustle and grind culture is a uniquely American phenomenon that leaves us tired, burnt out, and resentful. On average, Americans are given ten days of paid time off, and eight paid sick days, but on average, they have nine and a half unused days when the end of the year rolls around. This raises a huge question: why are we so averse to taking time for ourselves?
A 2018 study found that the biggest reason that American workers don’t take a day off is the fear of their bosses or teammates seeing them as replaceable. If I take one day off, they reason, they’ll see how little I really contribute – and I’ll be fired as a result. More than 56% of respondents said that their workload was too intense to take days off, another 54% said that planning a vacation is too logistically challenging, and 52% were afraid of breaking away from their regular routine.
Another reason people fear taking a day off is that they believe they need a “good reason,” namely, severe illness. A 2019 study found that a third of respondents felt they needed to fake being sick just to get a day off, and another 27% preferred to “make up a random story” instead of just asking for time off beforehand. It might be that they feel the pressure from management not to take days off unless they really need them. It could also be that you’re working in a cutthroat industry that never rests and never sleeps – and your employees are worried about falling behind.
Mandated time off in action
From what the data says, it’s almost like employees are paralyzed – they’re scared to break away from their regimented days, but they’re also risking exhaustion and burnout by not taking time off. So if you find that you’re hanging around skittish and nervous employees who need a little push towards PTO, it’s safe to say that mandated vacations could be a reasonable policy to implement either on your team, for your department, or for your whole company. Without having an environment where employees feel like they’re safe enough to spend a few days recharging from work, they won’t feel safe enough to do their best work. So if you’re thinking about instilling a mandated time off policy, consider these potential windfalls and pitfalls.
The pros
The good features of mandated time off are plentiful. First, you’ll be helping employees have a safe and healthy work/life balance that will eventually prevent burnout. You’ll be rewarding employees for their hard work and perseverance after busy times and showing them that you value them enough to respect their need for space. Research proves that taking paid time off increases, one’s work performance and their job satisfaction improves.
Additionally, mandated time off can help reduce the rate of accrued vacations. This means that you won’t have a slew of employees with oodles of vacation days when the end of the year rolls around. This is better for the company at large, as you can permit workers to take meaningful holidays off while also having time dispersed throughout the year to serve as benchmarks or milestones they can work towards.
The cons
The negative side of mandated time off is limited, but it does exist. Some employers don’t like it because it can force teams or parts of the office to shut down entirely for periods of time, slowing down business. But those who are implementing mandatory days off in that way are missing a key piece of their policies that would stagger vacations.
As for feeling replaceable or left behind, mandated time off allows employees something they wouldn’t get any other time: the ability to assess their performance from the outside looking in. It gives teammates and managers a sense of what they’re missing when you’re gone. And if there are responsibilities that other teammates are taking on and doing better than you might, don’t be nervous – it just means you can reassess your skills and take on some new responsibilities when you return recharged.
