Does your work boast a generous vacation policy but you're unable to take advantage of it because of your workload or worry you're taking too much time off? This template will help you campaign for instituting a requirement that a minimum number of days be used per year.
Noor Al-Sibai is a journalist and novice media theorist who’s been a member of and led progressive media unions. When they aren’t working as a begrudging politico or opining on the many failures of mainstream media, they can be found trying desperately to stay off of social media and read actual books.
Though [Company] has offered its employees a generous package of vacation days, many of our coworkers end up not using their full allotment because they face unreasonable workloads and implicit disapproval from managers. While we respect every individual’s decision about when and why they take vacation days, it is the stance of a plurality of coworkers that [Company] should implement a mandatory vacation policy to promote work-life balance and help with regular workplace stress.
Because our vacation policy is so generous, it results in many workers feeling unsure how much time is actually appropriate to take off. And, because managers approach this very differently across teams, workers face inconsistent practices. While the generous package is a great recruiting tool, we find that in practice, it has resulted in workers taking LESS time than they would like.
The practice of mandatory vacation is becoming more and more popular due to its ample benefits for employees. It helps reduce burnout, promotes planning ahead for both staff and management, helps employees de-stress, and is a great perk for potential hires. Crucially, it also creates a clear standard across our company to signal to all employees that time off is valued and respected. Ultimately, a mandatory vacation policy would help us, the staffers of [Company] , ensure that we are bringing our most relaxed and best selves to work.
We are requesting that management: