I made a big (and successful) push to have our CEO transition to an "unlimited vacation" policy and getting rid of the stigma around certain kinds of days off was a large part of it.
I made a big (and successful) push to have our CEO transition to an "unlimited vacation" policy and getting rid of the stigma around certain kinds of days off was a large part of it.
We have unlimited vacation at my company. Knowing that can be BS, before I signed on I asked how much vacation people actually take. I was told around 3 weeks per year. I'd support a minimum...
We have unlimited vacation at my company. Knowing that can be BS, before I signed on I asked how much vacation people actually take. I was told around 3 weeks per year. I'd support a minimum vacation policy, even though it seems like people make use of theirs.
Sadly, in my experience, people who disclose mental health issues in the workplace face serious repercussions. Never as an official, contestable response, of course, but in the form of gossip,...
Sadly, in my experience, people who disclose mental health issues in the workplace face serious repercussions. Never as an official, contestable response, of course, but in the form of gossip, snark and denied opportunities. This happens even when the bosses and colleagues previously assured everyone that they're in a safe place for this kind of thing.
I'm in Brazil, though, so this may be different elsewhere.
Slight tangent, but I hate the trend of "unlimited vacation" policies at tech companies. If I announced my intention to take 50 weeks of vacation a year, I'm sure I'd have A Chat with my manager....
Slight tangent, but I hate the trend of "unlimited vacation" policies at tech companies.
If I announced my intention to take 50 weeks of vacation a year, I'm sure I'd have A Chat with my manager. So obviously it's not unlimited.
What it really means in practice is "we don't track vacation days between you and HR, so it's just between you and your management". In theory, as long as you get your work done, you can take unlimited vacation...but if your expected workload is aggressive, and your coworkers are all workaholics who take 1 week a year, you might look like a slacker for taking 2 weeks a year.
Another facet of it is, normal vacation time accrues (usually up to some maximum), and companies are obligated to pay you for it when you leave. I've used that in the past as a way of paying for a month of "funemployment" between jobs, without dipping into my normal emergency savings fund. With untracked vacation time, that goes away.
I'd love to see minimum vacation time policies at more companies. If they were serious about "we care so much about work-life balance that you can take as much vacation as you want!" then why not also have a "oh, that means at least 2 weeks a year" provision?
I very much agree. I have a manager that believes in "We don't really track vacation days, take all the time you need". The issue is that I'm a military reservist, so after the time I'm obligated...
I very much agree. I have a manager that believes in "We don't really track vacation days, take all the time you need".
The issue is that I'm a military reservist, so after the time I'm obligated to take off for my military duties, if I take vacation time, I'm away from the office far more than my coworkers. This makes me feel extremely guilty about taking vacation. Since it's not tracked, my boss could easily think I'm abusing the leeway he's given me, and I have no official system to back me up.
I'm curious, how does a plan like that work? If I were to be mentally unwell for 2 weeks and don't come in to the office, would I be docked 2 weeks worth of pay?
I'm curious, how does a plan like that work? If I were to be mentally unwell for 2 weeks and don't come in to the office, would I be docked 2 weeks worth of pay?
I'm one of those that make up a physical aliment when taking a MHD, but I'm honestly not sure if I have to. We have PTO (personal time off) and vacation days. PTO is actually marked as "sick" days...
I'm one of those that make up a physical aliment when taking a MHD, but I'm honestly not sure if I have to. We have PTO (personal time off) and vacation days. PTO is actually marked as "sick" days in our timesheet (it's an old program), but everyone calls them PTO days.
Sorry I could being blunt. What's the difference between a MHD and an annual leave? I mean, in europe we have sickness days and annual leave but if I call in and ask for a sickness leave because I...
Sorry I could being blunt. What's the difference between a MHD and an annual leave?
I mean, in europe we have sickness days and annual leave but if I call in and ask for a sickness leave because I need to have a mental health day, they will tell me "So you're taking a day off your annual leave then?"
In NA our paid time off is often separated into buckets, vacation, sick, mental health, personal. It's a bunch of bs for employers to restrict your time off, especially on "their" dime.
In NA our paid time off is often separated into buckets, vacation, sick, mental health, personal. It's a bunch of bs for employers to restrict your time off, especially on "their" dime.
In particular, you (as an employer) can subtly (or not so subtly) discourage certain kinds of days. In finance (the area I'm most familiar with) you will generally have paid maternity and...
In particular, you (as an employer) can subtly (or not so subtly) discourage certain kinds of days.
In finance (the area I'm most familiar with) you will generally have paid maternity and paternity leave which is, on paper, quite generous. However, actually taking the days is a great way to hamper your career. Similarly, taking a vacation is fine (in finance you will often be mandated to take some at various times, in part so middle office can check that no one is trading with your credentials when you are away) but a mental health day would have a stigma attached to it, as it suggests you are unhappy with your job or can't cope.
Here in Australia, a "mental health day" is informal slang for taking a day of sick leave without actually being sick. If you call your boss and say you're taking a sick day, there's an...
Here in Australia, a "mental health day" is informal slang for taking a day of sick leave without actually being sick.
If you call your boss and say you're taking a sick day, there's an expectation that you are actually ill. In some cases, you'll be asked to provide a medical certificate from your doctor to prove that you are ill.
If you take a "mental health day", this is taking a day of sick leave just because you feel like taking a break from work. You might feel unmotivated or run-down or need a short break to recharge your mental batteries. You call your boss and tell them you're ill and taking a day of sick leave, but you would not be able to get a medical certificate because a doctor would not find you ill.
I made a big (and successful) push to have our CEO transition to an "unlimited vacation" policy and getting rid of the stigma around certain kinds of days off was a large part of it.
I like the idea of "unlimited days off" but I think it needs a minimum to., like you have unlimited days, but you must take 20 or 30.
We have unlimited vacation at my company. Knowing that can be BS, before I signed on I asked how much vacation people actually take. I was told around 3 weeks per year. I'd support a minimum vacation policy, even though it seems like people make use of theirs.
We have an absolute minimum of 10.
There is nothing wrong with taking a MHD. I take one or two of them per annum, myself.
Some days, you just wake up and cannot face the world.
Sadly, in my experience, people who disclose mental health issues in the workplace face serious repercussions. Never as an official, contestable response, of course, but in the form of gossip, snark and denied opportunities. This happens even when the bosses and colleagues previously assured everyone that they're in a safe place for this kind of thing.
I'm in Brazil, though, so this may be different elsewhere.
Slight tangent, but I hate the trend of "unlimited vacation" policies at tech companies.
If I announced my intention to take 50 weeks of vacation a year, I'm sure I'd have A Chat with my manager. So obviously it's not unlimited.
What it really means in practice is "we don't track vacation days between you and HR, so it's just between you and your management". In theory, as long as you get your work done, you can take unlimited vacation...but if your expected workload is aggressive, and your coworkers are all workaholics who take 1 week a year, you might look like a slacker for taking 2 weeks a year.
Another facet of it is, normal vacation time accrues (usually up to some maximum), and companies are obligated to pay you for it when you leave. I've used that in the past as a way of paying for a month of "funemployment" between jobs, without dipping into my normal emergency savings fund. With untracked vacation time, that goes away.
I'd love to see minimum vacation time policies at more companies. If they were serious about "we care so much about work-life balance that you can take as much vacation as you want!" then why not also have a "oh, that means at least 2 weeks a year" provision?
I very much agree. I have a manager that believes in "We don't really track vacation days, take all the time you need".
The issue is that I'm a military reservist, so after the time I'm obligated to take off for my military duties, if I take vacation time, I'm away from the office far more than my coworkers. This makes me feel extremely guilty about taking vacation. Since it's not tracked, my boss could easily think I'm abusing the leeway he's given me, and I have no official system to back me up.
I'm curious, how does a plan like that work? If I were to be mentally unwell for 2 weeks and don't come in to the office, would I be docked 2 weeks worth of pay?
I'm one of those that make up a physical aliment when taking a MHD, but I'm honestly not sure if I have to. We have PTO (personal time off) and vacation days. PTO is actually marked as "sick" days in our timesheet (it's an old program), but everyone calls them PTO days.
Sorry I could being blunt. What's the difference between a MHD and an annual leave?
I mean, in europe we have sickness days and annual leave but if I call in and ask for a sickness leave because I need to have a mental health day, they will tell me "So you're taking a day off your annual leave then?"
In NA our paid time off is often separated into buckets, vacation, sick, mental health, personal. It's a bunch of bs for employers to restrict your time off, especially on "their" dime.
In particular, you (as an employer) can subtly (or not so subtly) discourage certain kinds of days.
In finance (the area I'm most familiar with) you will generally have paid maternity and paternity leave which is, on paper, quite generous. However, actually taking the days is a great way to hamper your career. Similarly, taking a vacation is fine (in finance you will often be mandated to take some at various times, in part so middle office can check that no one is trading with your credentials when you are away) but a mental health day would have a stigma attached to it, as it suggests you are unhappy with your job or can't cope.
Thank you for the clarification :)
Here in Australia, a "mental health day" is informal slang for taking a day of sick leave without actually being sick.
If you call your boss and say you're taking a sick day, there's an expectation that you are actually ill. In some cases, you'll be asked to provide a medical certificate from your doctor to prove that you are ill.
If you take a "mental health day", this is taking a day of sick leave just because you feel like taking a break from work. You might feel unmotivated or run-down or need a short break to recharge your mental batteries. You call your boss and tell them you're ill and taking a day of sick leave, but you would not be able to get a medical certificate because a doctor would not find you ill.