Not being able to take annual leave leaves employees feeling helpless. Unknown from when it began, "taking a vacation" has become a word representing "luxury" in the minds of salaried workers, with working year-round without rest becoming the norm. A survey showed that in our country, more than half of white-collar workers have never enjoyed paid leave. For those who give up their vacations, is it voluntary or out of helplessness? More than half of white-collar workers have never enjoyed paid leave. The Cable News Network (CNN) of the United States recently announced a ranking list regarding the length of "paid holidays" in various countries. Brazil and Lithuania ranked first with 41 days, while China ranked last with 21 days.
A recent survey conducted by the Youth Daily Social Survey Center on 2,441 people showed that 54.5% of them have never enjoyed paid leave, 23.5% occasionally enjoy it, and only 22% indicated that they can every year. It's worth noting that among those who participated in this survey, 46.3% have been working for over ten years. This shows that in the fiercely competitive modern society, taking a vacation has become one of the most luxurious desires for Chinese office workers. Among them, some are forced to voluntarily give up their vacations, while others indicate that they abandon their vacations out of helplessness. Many white-collar workers told reporters that in many companies, there are varying degrees of "full attendance," and examples of employees being deprived of paid leave abound.
"Full attendance" may be legal but not reasonable. Chen Xi, senior career consultant at Zhaopin, believes that many people gradually feel that "the world is getting flatter." One manifestation of this is that more and more companies operate on a "7(days) × 24(hours)" system. This reality requires certain positions to always have employees on duty, and the response method is shift work or flexible working hours. If an employee takes continuous multi-day leave, it indeed will pose a challenge to the normal operation of the enterprise, such as call center customer service, tourism, catering, etc.
"For enterprises, under legal conditions, they can request employees not to take leave, but they must provide compensatory leave or salary compensation. On the other hand, from an emotional perspective, what is legally permissible may not necessarily be accepted emotionally by employees. Nowadays, white-collar workers value self-actualization more, emphasizing the feeling of being respected and the balance between work and life. If an enterprise consistently requests employees to work overtime and cannot take annual leave, it is not conducive to retaining talent in the long run," he said.
Interview records:
Employee voices: "No leave" due to pressure
Interviewee: May, private enterprise customer service staff, three years of work experience
After graduating from a non-mainstream university, May joined a private company dealing in foreign trade as a customer service representative. Although the company was not large, its benefits were quite comprehensive, and the boss's way of treating people could be accepted by her. Thus, she stayed for three years and never thought about changing jobs. She introduced that due to the special nature of her work, she did not have fixed rest days and could only rotate shifts. Normal weekends were a luxury for her.
"Being in customer service almost 'traps' you; no one would willingly accept it without complaints, but it is required by work and driven by life." In these three years, May has never enjoyed so-called "annual leave." It's not that the company didn't allow it, but because of insufficient manpower, the company has repeatedly hinted to employees to voluntarily give up personal annual leave and public holidays. Employees who refuse to give up their holidays and complain too much are easily fired by the company for various reasons. Of course, these "expenses" of employees are not entirely unrewarded. Besides offering generous salaries to compensate for vacations, the company also promised certain promotion opportunities. "The boss intended to promote me to the position of customer service supervisor at the end of the year, which finally made me feel that all these years of hard work were worth it," she said. "My starting point is lower than others. I can only work hard and not calculate too much to carve out my own path."
Employer voices: Prefer to compensate wages instead of annual leave
Interviewee: James, company management level
James said that urban people are very busy, and many would rather earn extra money by "overtime" than rest, so taking a holiday is not necessarily something everyone is willing to do. Moreover, many people often take several days off and play for several days, disrupting their daily routines, making it difficult to adjust back after the holiday.
"Our human resource cost peers are sensitive - when employees request annual leave, we always cautiously ask the reason, worrying if they are preparing to leave after enjoying their benefits or discussing plans and growth during their vacation, having other thoughts. We also worry if they might encounter accidents. Additionally, we find that employees may work positively before their annual leave, but upon returning, they may suffer from 'post-holiday syndrome,' lagging behind in work and appearing distracted. This adjustment period may last several days or even a week, which is not good for company operations. Annual leave is an employee benefit, but from the company's perspective, we don't really want employees to take leave. Companies prefer to compensate wages for their annual leave because this can maintain the stable state of company operations and reduce variables," he said.
Our laws clearly stipulate that workers have the right to take paid annual leave. Chen Xi said that within the scope prescribed by law, if employees cannot take annual leave, they can request corresponding compensation. In fact, if the right to take leave is continuously unable to be exercised, it may harm employees' sense of belonging and loyalty to their employers, making it understandable for them to switch jobs when better opportunities arise. Employees being "fully present" is not necessarily a good thing for companies.
Compared to the typical "fully present," another part of "non-typical" "fully present" employees voluntarily give up vacations completely based on their own decisions. "These people may give up vacations to get overtime pay or other compensation, or to complete work. Additionally, it may be related to corporate culture. If the overall situation of the company does not emphasize vacations, when employees see everyone around them working overtime, applying for vacations themselves seems unconventional," he said.
Chen Xi suggests that white-collar workers should adjust their mindset. If you want to take a vacation, apply to your direct supervisor or HR department, and it may not be as difficult as you imagine. If you decide to give up the right to take vacations, it belongs to your personal decision, so you shouldn't complain or grumble.
"In bustling commercial cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, white-collar workers are increasingly valuing vacations, and enterprise managers are the same. Vacations have been institutionalized in some companies, where communication with employees determines approximate vacation dates at the beginning of the year. In many companies, vacations are also encouraged," he said. In his view, the widespread diligence concept among Chinese people and the notion of "enduring hardship leads to success" may be one of the reasons why some people lack awareness of vacations. Additionally, competition pressure and the constant pursuit of a better self-pressure make many white-collar workers give up vacations. However, in fact, white-collar workers should learn to balance work and rest and find their own equilibrium between work and life.
Chen Xi believes that we should not overemphasize the significance of "being fully present" and should face this issue according to our actual circumstances. If doubts arise, timely communication with your direct supervisor to seek solutions or discussions with trustworthy friends to relax is recommended. Paid vacation is a right granted by law to white-collar workers, and they should learn to exercise this right, which is beneficial for engaging in work with a better state and a more pleasant mood.
This article comes from: 70% of small businesses in China expect losses in the next six months_23734-www.zp-nmg.com Don't turn yourself into a "workaholic"_8100-www.zp-nmg.com Beware, Weibo has "toxins"_7960-www.zp-nmg.com