Employers should set a policy around paid time off. The amount of vacation time your workers take is incredibly important, and not just because their days off put a dent in regular productivity. Time off allows employees to mentally recharge so they can perform higher quality work than normal.
According to The Los Angeles Times, data from Oxford Economics shows that the average American professional had 3.2 unused days of vacation time at the end of 2013. Citing the same study, Forbes notes that there were "429 million unused days for U.S. workers" in total. Ideally, that number would be 0, so here are a few tips businesses can use to encourage employees to take time off.
1. Setting Policy
In your employee handbook, establish a clear definition of what the company policy is for paid time off. Consider a "use it or lose it" policy to encourage an employee to use all the days accrued over the year or they'll be gone forever. Businesses basically don't want anyone building up so much time that they can take months off at a time. With that said, also be flexible for established employees who want extended time for a special vacation. Prior approval by a manager may be an option.
2. Have a coverage system in place
Many people refuse to leave work because they don't want to put in long hours before and after their vacation to handle responsibilities that won't be covered while they're out. The thinking is that there's no point in taking time off if just means overtime for a certain period.
That's why you need to have a coverage plan in place. Devise a system that will spread someone's work out across your staff during their absence. This ensures that no one will be overburdened while one of their colleagues takes time off.
3. How many days have I accrued?
The HR department is often flooded with this one question, which means that someone has to go in and search employee records to find the answer. A possible, low-cost solution is providing your employee with a "self-service" tool that is embedded into your payroll application that gives the employee the ability to view their hours, paychecks, W-2's and accrued paid time off.