HR: Post and responses - Take a break!
INeal
responsesformgt643.docx
5 hours ago
Amber Drake
Week 7 Discussion Post
Top of Form
4
· 5
· 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
“There is no legal minimum amount of vacation days mandated in the United States, but 10 days is typical for large companies. U.S. workers must typically be with an employer for 20 to 25 years before they receive as much paid vacation as their western counterparts” (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2021). So, when given vacation, why do we not take the days off? ““Fear,” says Scott Dobroski, career trends analyst at Glassdoor. “That’s the underscoring theme.” They fear getting behind on their work (34%), believe no one else at their company can do the work while they’re out (30%), they are completely dedicated to their company (22%), and they feel they can never be disconnected (21%)” (Fottrell, 2017). “Most U.S. companies have an “employment-at-will” policy, meaning they can be fired for any reason or no reason at all, unless they have a written contract, they’re in a labor union that has other rules relating to conditions of employment or they’re fired because of some kind of discrimination” (Fottrell, 2017). “We have almost no job security in the U.S., no legal requirement for severance pay and, with very few exceptions, can be laid off without notice” (Fottrell, 2017).
Not taking time off from work can affect you physically and mentally. “Job burnout and decreased efficiency on the job are not uncommon phenomenon for folks who push themselves too hard without taking some time off for themselves; as a result, their perceived dedication to work may actually be working against them, resulting in their becoming less productive and valuable employees” (Titner, 2018). “Not taking vacation can also negatively affect employee’s moods at work; this includes increased irritability and decreased patience, which can really place a strain on relationships and communication with colleagues. Job focus and energy are also typically depleted at a more rapid rate without a “vacation recharge,” which ultimately benefits neither the exhausted employees or their frustrated employers” (Titner, 2018).
As HR Professionals, we can create policies where providing vacation is mandatory and taking your vacation is mandatory. If a company wants to create a sustained competitive advantage, the first thing they must do is look after their people. Their employees are the ones interacting with customers and each other. If they are burnt out or unhappy, it will spill over causing high turnover and decreased sales.
References
Fottrell, Q. (2017, May 28). The sad reason half of Americans don’t take all their paid vacation. Retrieved from Market Watch: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/55-of-american-workers-dont-take-all-their-paid-vacation-2016-06-15
Noe, R., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. (2021). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage. New York; NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Titner, e. (2018). The impact of 50% of American workers not taking vacation time. Retrieved from The Job Network: https://www.thejobnetwork.com/the-impact-of-50-of-american-workers-not-taking-vacation-time/
23 hours ago
Mike Taylor
Discussion Board week #7 Mike Taylor
Top of Form
Overall Rating:
· 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
· 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
Majority of people would love to get away from their daily life and take a vacation, yet in the United States it is not that common compared to other countries. According to (CEPR,2014) “This is because the United States continues to be the only advanced economy that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation. No city or state in the United States guarantees paid annual leave with the exception of the US territory, Puerto Rico.” This is why the United States has a big discrepancy in vacation days compared to the other countries. Another reason why Americans might not take all vacation days could be due to financial responsibilities they have at home. Additionally, some Americans might value other valuables rather than taking a vacation, such as a new video game system, golf sets, or going to activities such concerts, or sport events.
According to an article by (Washington post) “70% of respondents admitted checking in with their workplace from vacation at least occasionally. 29% managed to limit their work during vacation every few days, but 30% stated they checked in once a day, and 11% checked their work multiple times a day.” With this style of vacation, you are enjoying the sunshine, but you are still working when you are supposed to unplug and just your vacation. In the HR community maybe instead of the “use it or lose it” policy perhaps allowing the company to have roll overs, so they do not lose vacation days. This has to be done through each individual employer and their style of work. This is going to be problem for a long time until the government mandates on a specific number of vacation days, and I am not sure that is going to happen anytime soon.
Sampson, H. (2019, August 28). What does America have against vacation? Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/08/28/what-does-america-have-against-vacation/
Ray, Rebecca, Milla Sanes, and John Schmitt. 2014. “No-Vacation Nation Revisited.” Washington, DC: Center for Economic and Policy Research. April. cepr.net/documents/no-vacation- update-2014-04.pdf
Bottom of Form
2 days ago
Janet Maloy
DB Post 7
Top of Form
Overall Rating:
· 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
· 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
Why do United States employees receive and take less vacation days than other countries in the world? First, most developed countries around the world have enacted legislation that provides employees with a minimum amount of required vacation days after one year of employment. This is not the case in the United States. In the U.S., the availability of vacation days is determined by the company that you work for, not the government. While 74% of companies offer vacation, there is no minimum required allotment or any required schedule of accrual based on your service (Greenwood, 2018). The second reason I believe is based on our culture. We are driven and very much individualistic in our culture and we there is a pressure to maintain a certain level of success in being the “best”. That aspect of our culture often does not let us disengage from work.
This is seen not only in vacation, but other leave policies around the world such as maternity leave and paid-parental leave where the U.S. lags behind other nations in the benefits provided to parents. We work hard, but there is a mental a physical benefit to unplugging and recharging away from the work environment and we may be sabotaging ourselves by not taking vacations. According to an Inc.com article, taking time off can make us more efficient workers by reducing stress, decreasing the risk of heart disease, getting better sleep and being more productive (Daskal, 2016). As the textbook shared, Americans work the most hours of any developed country, but perhaps that is not a position that we want to be first in (Noe et al, 2019). To solve this issue, some HR leaders are looking at “unlimited” vacation that allows employees to take vacation whenever needed. However, the success of these policies can be limited based on the culture within the organization. If managers look down on workers for taking vacations, or if workers feel more stress from being away from work, unlimited vacation likely will not solve the problem.
References:
Daskal, L. (2016, June 13). 4 Scientific Reasons Vacations Are Good for Your Health. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/4-scientific-reasons-why-vacation-is-awesome-for-you.html
Greenwood, C. (2018, July 19). How paid vacation time is different around the world. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.com/how-paid-vacation-time-is-different-around-the-world-2018-7
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R & Gerhart, B. A. (2019). Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Bottom of Form
Bottom of Form
