Letting employees manage their own time off? Maybe it ’s a win-win. Entry 23 – 2009

At the Health as Human Capital Foundation, we often witness scenarios where employees, when given the choice and proper incentives, actually spend company time and money MORE wisely than they would under a strict set of rules or governing policies. < br / > < br / > < strong > < span style= " color: rgb(0, 51, 51); " > This is just that sort of example. < /span > < /strong > < br / > Most every company we work with has an extensive paid-time-off policy, detailing what days are allowed, for what purposes, and at what times during the year. There are extensive rules governing its use and tracking their frequency. But it ’s worth asking: even when companies spend time and energy defining a thoughtful policy and system, is there an exact amount of time off from work that suits each of us perfectly? What if we allow workers some discretion in how much time off they want? < br / > < br / > At a recent luncheon, I spoke with an executive who felt strongly that companies should designate a required amount of time off and was uncomfortable with the notion of letting employees decide how much to take. He couldn ’t articulate why, just that generally people might not know what was “good for them.” I wondered, does any CEO know what employees need more than they do? < br / > < br / > < strong > < span style= " color: rgb(0, 51, 51); " > Let ’s look at an example where a company allowed employees to decide whether to use their time off or take home more pay… < /span > < /stron...

Source: Health as Human Capital - Illustrated Research Summaries - November 7, 2009 Category: Health Management Authors: Wendy Lynch, Ph.D. Source Type: blogs