Millennials would rather "vacation quietly" than ask for PTO | Want to keep employees? Write great job descriptions | CEO: Why leaders need a mirror, and not a fun-house one
"Quiet vacationing" has become a thing among millennials and Gen Z employees who are reluctant to take paid time off (PTO) because they want to be seen as productive, not a slacker, a Harris Poll survey finds. Employers need to create a culture where PTO is expected, even mandated, to help employees establish a work/life balance.
Your employees -- especially those in management -- are more likely to stay put when their job inspires them, connects them to their calling and offers them a sense of agency where they feel they're making a valuable contribution, writes author Laura Gassner Otting. One tool to aid retention, ironically, can be job descriptions for open positions that "retell the story of 'why' your organization exists and how it dovetails with the callings of your current team members," which can "rekindle the joy and excitement that brought current staff to your organization in the first place," Gassner Otting writes.
A global BambooHR report found employees' requests for paid time off increased 9% over the past year ending in April, with Europe having the highest percentage of employees making requests at 66% and Latin America the lowest at 31%. "Post-pandemic workers prioritize mental health and wellbeing because it's better understood and more needed, and time off is a critical component of rest," says Anita Grantham, HR head for BambooHR, which also found employers' approval rates dropped by 5% overall.
Iowa's Waterloo Career Center has inspired other districts like Cedar Rapids to adopt career-focused programs, ensuring students gain hands-on experience and college credits while still in high school. These initiatives aim to prepare students for high-wage, high-demand careers -- reflecting community interests and offering diverse pathways for future success.
Create a workplace learning culture by fitting learning into the daily flow of work, encouraging employees to collaborate with each other and rewarding people for their learning efforts through certifications, advancement and recognition, says Louise McElvaney, chief HR officers for Learning Pool. "In such a culture, learning is not seen as a separate or isolated activity but as an integral part of everyday work life," McElvaney adds.
Please forgive my absence. I had my first battle with Covid. After four days of couch rotting and binge watching 90s reruns, I’m glad to be back in the Workforce seat.
When I knew I’d be out, I contacted my boss and let her know then put the days into our employee management system. I also updated my Slack profile and told other key team members.
What I didn’t do is hide, like some GenZers and millennials are inclined to do these days, under the guise of “quiet vacationing,” as we see in our top story. What baloney. I was floored by the workarounds they implement to hide that they’re gone -- moving their mouse and scheduling messages for after-hour sends. I’m not going to couch this in pretty language. This is deception, plain and simple.
If a workplace is toxic, leave. Staying at an organization that’s poisonous is like staying in a relationship that’s poisonous. Take your skills to a company that will appreciate them and support you.
Let’s all get away from shady behavior -- excusing it, practicing it or creating the environment that gives rise to it. There’s no room for it.
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