About 60% of the workforce has become remote amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Coronavirus has changed the way many workers do their jobs – in person or at home – and has increased the time they spend doing it.
In 2020, the average working day increased by almost an hour, according to a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Despite longer hours, workers also take fewer breaks. Since March, a large majority of Americans have shortened, postponed or canceled their planned breaks, according to a separate survey of more than 2,000 workers in July.
“When the kitchen table becomes your office, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between work and home,” said Claire Barnes, senior vice president of human resources at Monster Worldwide.
“Unfortunately, we have seen more and more workers – in all sectors – not taking vacations and free time offered by their employers, either due to the increased workload or the struggle to find a good work / life balance.”
Even in the pre-pandemic, American workers used only about half of their eligible vacation time, according to a study by the jobs and recruitment website Glassdoor.
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Now workers are at risk of losing billions in lost benefits if that time cannot be accumulated or accumulated.
Only 42% of companies said they are making changes to vacation policies to increase flexibility, including increasing transfer limits for unused time off, according to a report by consulting firm Willis Towers Watson.
A separate Monster survey found that nearly two-thirds, or 64%, of workers said their employer does not normally allow a vacation renewal, and 4 out of 5 workers said their employers did not provide any room for maneuver due to the coronavirus crisis .
As of January 1, workers will also lose the federal mandate that requires paid leave for those suffering from Covid-19.
The CARES Act included an emergency provision that required qualified employers to offer the benefit to eligible employees by December 31 – without this policy, there is no national standard for paid family or sick leave.
However, under the terms of the new relief package, companies can still claim a tax credit to subsidize the cost if they choose to provide paid vacation until 2021.
Many companies are likely to continue offering this option even without the mandate, according to Bill Gianoukos, founder and CEO of telehealth program provider Goodpath – just as some will allow workers to accumulate more unused vacation days.
“Employers understand how important it is to live a more balanced life and are more open to ensuring that employees receive the care they need.”
And yet, it will be up to employees to defend themselves, said Gianoukos, “go back to your employer and ask for time off.”
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