How to get employees to take their PTO

Long story short: It’s time to encourage employees to use up their PTO

October 29, 2021 11:19 AM

With the holiday season fast approaching, employees may finally get the break they need, if they feel secure enough to take it.

Six out of ten employees don’t feel comfortable taking breaks, according to a recent survey by Freshy, and that time is adding up. Last year, employees left a third of their vacation time on the table, wreaking havoc on their mental health, as well as their employer’s bottom line. Unused vacation time costs employers $270 billion in balance sheet liabilities, according to Sorbet, a PTO buy-back platform. The organization is encouraging employees to either take their time or cash it in for wellness experiences to beat burnout and reduce corporate expenditures.

Hilton is also encouraging employees to balance work and play with upgraded hotel stays where travelers can work while vacationing with family or attending business trips. And a year-long survey by data firm Comparably ranked the companies with the best perks, many offering unlimited and generous time off. See how these companies and more are encouraging employee well-being in our top stories from the week:

10 companies with the best perks and benefits

If employers don’t offer competitive perks and benefits, they risk losing talent. The O.C. Tanner Institute’s Global Culture report noted that 59% of employees would quit their current job if offered a similar role with similar pay and benefits at a different company.

Comparably

, a company that provides culture and compensation data for public and private businesses, has completed its year-long survey, asking employees across 70,000 North American companies about the quality of their benefits, be it mental health assistance, extensive healthcare packages or abundant vacation days.

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10 companies with the best perks and benefits

Employees are missing out on breaks as remote work takes over personal time

More than a year and a half into the pandemic, memories of taking a relaxing lunch break or going for a midday stroll to grab coffee with a coworker seem like another life. The work week has gotten 10% longer as the digital office environment has blurred the lines between professional and personal time, according to a study published in the online journal Nature Human Behaviour. The need to be “on” means employees are attending

endless meetings

and making themselves available outside of work hours, adding to their stress and burnout.

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Employees are missing out on breaks as remote work takes over personal time

Cash for PTO: This app is helping businesses balance out their PTO debts

In 2020, 92% of employees say they

left their vacation time unused

, according to a survey by financial services firm IPX. On average, employees use 72% of their vacation time per year, and while this may seem like a win for employers, the reality is that unused time is a business liability.

Sorbet is hoping to alleviate these financial pain points, while also addressing the underlying wellness issues around not taking time off. The platform enables employees to cash in a certain amount of PTO for a Visa card that can be used as cash, or for other health and wellness benefits like meditation app subscriptions, gym memberships and other perks.

Read more:

Cash for PTO: This app is helping businesses balance out their PTO debts

Mixing work and play: Hilton lures back eager business travelers

Hilton is attempting to get travelers back into the groove with new perks and programs designed for both work and play. Workspaces by Hilton provides visitors with private daytime rooms with ergonomic desk chairs, wifi and coffee and tea to imitate the benefits of the physical workplace.

But employees want to stay in a hotel for more than just speedy internet: 47% of business travelers surveyed by Hilton said amenities like a pool or spa were important to their experience, and 62% valued alone time.

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Mixing work and play: Hilton lures back eager business travelers