Some American Companies Forcing Employees to Take Time Off

Some American Companies Forcing Employees to Take Time Off

By: Daniel Steingold | August 18, 2016

Statistics show that Americans have a tough time at keeping work and their personal lives separate.

One study in 2015 found that more than half of working Americans did not use all of their time off. About 22 percent of employees did not use all of the vacation days given to them because they wanted to show total commitment to their employer.

This trend isn’t because employees don’t get much vacation time. Netflix, for example, has given its employees unlimited vacation since 2004. Other companies have gone as far as requiring employees to take time off, and paying bonuses to those who use all of their vacation time.

A prominent HR executive noted that “constantly being available online… intrudes on your personal life, can cause burnout and lead to a variety of physical and mental issues if not monitored properly.”

One firm found that by giving a $500 bonus to employees who used all of their vacation time, they were able to increase the number of employees who used all of their vacation time from 19 percent to 91 percent.

Another firm started requiring employees to take 15 days off a year, after realizing that some employees took no time off.

While these companies have taken a leap forward, many companies aren’t quite as supportive. In the 2015 study previously mentioned, 58 percent of employees said that they didn’t receive support from their employer when asking about taking vacation, and 65 percent received no substantial reassurance.

Still, it looks like more time off is the way of the future.


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