Summer vacation time is cancelled, say most employees

Summertime and the living is … less easy than usual for many folks. And that’s being reflected in your employees’ summer vacation plans.

Normally at this time you’re used to fewer employees being at their desks because they’re away at the lake, on the beach or in backyards. Now even if everyone isn’t in the office, they’re likely still working.

Why they won’t take time off

Check out what people said in a recent survey by Robert Half:

• I’ll save my vacation time for later in the year, hopefully to travel (37%)
• I’ll take fewer days off in the summer months compared to last year because of COVID-19 (28%)
• I’d like to take a vacation but am tightening my belt due to the pandemic (22%)
• I’ll take days off for self-care and mental health (20%)
• I’ll take more time off (16%), and
• I won’t be logging off because I have too much work to do (14%).

Yes, most companies are running leaner these days and everybody has a ton to do. But many people also need a break — the summer slump can take a real toll on productivity.

Yet two-thirds of employees (66%) say there’s been no communication about using vacation days from their company leadership.

No summer vacation = trouble in the fall, winter

While there’s plenty of uncertainty about what the remainder of the year will look like, you will want to get ahead of one potential problem.

If many staffers hold off on using summer vacation time, they may all rush to burn it up toward the end of the year.

That’s the last time Finance can afford to be short-staffed.

You might want to circulate a team calendar now so that you can manage just how many folks are out during year-end. Another option: As a one-time offering due to these unprecedented circumstances, allow folks to roll more days over this year.