The Role of Employers in Supporting Paid Leave: Best Practices
With the ever-changing landscape of the current business environment, the concept of paid leave has started to evolve from a mere perk to an essential component of a healthy workplace. The workforce increasingly prioritizes work-life balance and actively seeks out specific conditions. With that, we’d like to share some of the best practices we have observed from local employers that allow both employees and organizations to thrive.
Cultivating a Leave-Friendly Culture
The foundation of supporting paid leave lies in fostering a culture that genuinely values rest and recuperation. Leading companies encourage taking time off by promoting open conversations about its importance and setting boundaries to allow full disconnection during vacations. Policies such as offering additional days off or financial bonuses for using a specific number of vacation days also incentivize employees.
Clear and Comprehensive Leave Policies
Clarity is the backbone of any successful system, key elements of an effective leave policy being:
- Clearly outline the types of leave and entitlements to eliminate ambiguity and ensure employees understand their rights. Noteworthy local policies include sick leave without documentation and additional paternity leave days.
- This one is for the HRs – having an easy to use system for requesting and tracking time off is crucial for reducing friction during the process..
- Establish clear protocols for handling tasks during an employee’s absence, such as delegating to colleagues or temporary hires. Plan for backups and have strategies for both planned and unplanned leaves to ensure continuity and prevent guilt about taking time off.
Utilizing Leave Policies and Working Model in Tandem
Employees experiencing more control over their own schedules goes hand-in-hand with promoting work-life balance. Flexible working arrangements, such as remote work options and flexible hours, can complement leave policies. Sometimes this can look like taking more work-from-home days than usually allotted to accommodate personal plans and needs.
Taking it up a notch, some companies allow for additional paid time off outside the general number of days mandated by the local government. So next time you see a snowy forecast in the mountains on a random Thursday, you don’t have to sacrifice any of your already planned vacation time.
Some Final Words
Over the years, we have observed that the implementation of flexible leave policies that put the employee first result in organizations experiencing significantly improved recruitment and retention. While this has always been a tendency, the post-Covid era has placed such practices in a position of must-haves for employers to be genuinely competitive in the current market. They all foster a thriving, dynamic workplace and are good for business. More than that, they create a resilient and motivated workforce, allowing employees to return from leaves refreshed and ready to contribute their best.
Are you curious about how you can optimize your paid leave policies? If yes, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.