37% of workers won’t have PTO before Christmas

It may seem too soon to think about the festive holidays, but many people are starting to think about when to use their remaining paid time off (PTO) allowance for the year.

Employees want to see family and friends without the pressures of work, but it appears that many won’t be able to do this from now until the festive period.

Just Eat for Business spoke to 200 employees from the UK to find out more about their annual leave policies. While there were positives for respondents (51%) such as having roll-over holidays from year-to-year, there were also worrying findings like the fact that 37% of staff will not be able to take leave between September and December.

On top of that, 21% of employees had time off rejected because of staff shortages, while 16% of workers said they couldn’t take holiday because of an excessive workload.

While one solution is hiring more people, not every business is in a position to do this.

Claire Lassiter, a senior HR consultant at Pure Human Resources, discussed why HR may reject holiday requests: “Employers are not obliged to agree to every request that is made.

“If the request would mean that resource was limited because of leave already booked within a team, if the request was very last-minute, or if a project could not be completed on time, for example, it would be reasonable for the employer to decline it.

“Additionally, if someone asks for time off during their notice period it would be reasonable for a manager to reject the request in order to ensure that appropriate handover of work is completed before their departure.

“All requests should be considered on a case-by-case basis with the operational needs of the business in mind. However, there should be reasonable justification for saying no because taking time off is important and essential for employees.”

PTO and work-life balance

Of course, just because time off can be rejected, that doesn’t mean it should be. In an age where burnout is rife and the ‘Great Resignation‘ has seen millions leave the workforce, companies need to be careful about deteriorating relationships with employees.

After all, those who will miss life events over the course next three months may begin to reassess their work options.

Will Foster, Professor of Leadership at Keele University, noted the importance of time off in the build-up to the festive season: “It’s essential that if the ‘espoused’ values of the organization include employee wellbeing and restorative breaks, then leaders need to prioritize that.

“Management must do the hard work of ensuring the structures, roles, responsibilities and staffing levels align so employees can take a ‘true rest’ when needed, regardless of the time of year and understaffing issues.”

Rosie Hyam, people partner at Just Eat, added: “Given the emphasis on employee wellbeing and work-life balance over the last few years, it’s essential that employers are receptive to flexible working arrangements, and that they allow employees to take time away from work when needed.”

While employers have the power to reject leave, it is clear that they should consider these decisions carefully. After all, with great power comes great responsibility.

Want to hear more from UNLEASH? Sign up now for free access to all our online content, exclusive reports, as well as discounts for our events.