Flexibility is one of the benefits of remote positions. However, flexibility can also create confusion when it comes to your company’s time-off policy (we have unlimited PTO here at HiringThing) What is considered time off? How much time off should employees receive? Here are four tips to avoid confusion.
Specify How You Measure Performance
Do you evaluate your employees’ productivity per project? Per hour? Per tasks each day? Clearly define this in both your employee remote work policy and your time-off policy. This will help employees know how their time off is defined.
Specify Differences Between Sick Time and Vacation Time
Many companies provide employees with a certain number of vacation days each year but an unlimited amount of sick days. This means employees can take off hours throughout the day for dentist and doctor appointments without any penalties, or they can ask for days off sporadically throughout the year due to illnesses for themselves or even their children. Some states may also require sick time by law. In your time-off policy, list any differences between what constitutes a vacation day and a sick day.
Require Employees to Take Time off Throughout the Year
Many employees simply do not take advantage of vacation benefits. According to one survey, more than 54 percent of Americans do not use their vacation days. Individuals may not do this for many reasons, but they only hurt themselves. Regular vacations have many physical and mental health benefits, including better sleep quality, improved job performance, lower blood pressure, and more. It’s also imperative that employers work to create a healthy work culture and put in place policies that allow employees to feel encouraged and comfortable to take time off.
List All Holidays
Are your employees scattered throughout various countries? This can make it challenging to coordinate holidays. In your policy, list how you plan to address these holiday hours. You may give all your employees time off during holidays in the country where your company is headquartered. You may also allow employees to exchange those holidays for their own — if they are near the same date. However, this can become complicated, and you should establish a system to ensure everyone receives the time off they deserve and in their specific locations.
About HiringThing
Approachable and adaptable, the HiringThing platform empowers everyone, everywhere, to hire their dream team. Try HiringThing’s easy-to-use, feature-rich applicant tracking system with a free 14-day trial today!
