If unlimited time off seems too good to be true, it probably is.
While being able to choose when and how much time away from work may seem like the best workplace perk of all time, how it’s executed is a different story.
Companies have touted their overzealous paid time-off policies in recent months in an effort to attract and retain the burned-out workforce.
But for many professionals, this means trying to find colleagues to cover their missed work, working longer hours in the weeks before being out of the office and coming back to an inbox overflowing with emails.
Because of the chaotic nature of these policies, workers don’t gain the benefits of recuperating and resting during their time away. Instead, some are still thinking about the slack they will be forced to pick up the following week.
The real solution to this problem? Give workers a no-strings-attached paid-leave policy.
Instead of leaders expecting the same amount of output in less time, companies must find a method in adjusting their workplace culture.
“Many employers aren’t in a place to suddenly reduce workloads, so employees will probably have to cram five days’ worth of work into four,” said Abigail Marks, a professor at Newcastle University Business School.
For instance, if a parent has to take time away from work to care for their sick child, give them that leeway without repercussions. Task other team members to help with the workload, or simply have the flexibility to push back due dates.
Employee wellbeing should be of the utmost priority in today’s workforce, and without doing so, leaders are left with staff that are more stressed and burned out than ever before.
