Employees are always on the clock to some degree, as one effect of working from home is becoming more apparent: People are feeling constantly at work, with no clearly separate line between their jobs and home life.
Personal finance author and radio host Dave Ramsey has some thoughts on making smart decisions about taking time off from work.
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In this reality, actual time off from work has increasing importance for employees. This is obviously the case for non-remote workers as well, as access to digital communication technology intrudes on workers’ personal lives, whether they are at home or at physical places of employment.
One questioner recently asked Ramsey about a concern she had regarding employees and the choices they make while selecting when and how often to take their allotted paid time off (PTO) during the calendar year.
“How do you manage a situation where you feel an employee may be taking advantage of you when it comes to time off?” the advice-seeker asked, identifying herself as Kate, in a May 8 email sent to TheStreet by Ramsey Solutions. “I have one person who seems to have endless things pop up throughout the year, and she’s always asking for extra time off.”
“This year, she has already used up her paid time off (PTO), knowing she has fertility treatments scheduled later in the year that would require time off,” she added. “I’ve always wanted my business to remain family-oriented and employee-friendly as we grew. But I’m starting to feel my heart harden, too, like she may be taking advantage of me.”
Ramsey offered some nuanced and practical views on how the business owner might best handle the situation with this employee.
Dave Ramsey offers advice on employees and requests for time off
Ramsey told Kate that the fact she is conflicted shows she has a good heart.
“Team members are individuals, not units of production,” Ramsey wrote. “We all have unique hopes and dreams, and you should recognize and respect that. But it sounds like this particular employee also has a habit of making dumb mistakes where her time off is concerned.”
I’ve experienced this kind of behavior from time to time as my company’s grown,” he continued. “And as time’s gone by, I’ve started listening to my gut to differentiate actual needs from stupidity. I try to treat other people the way I’d like to be treated, instead of just through the lens of what I want or what’s good for Ramsey Solutions.”
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Ramsey talks a bit about how sometimes a relationship between an employee and the place they work are at odds.
“If a team member is going to make a series of bad choices, I’m going to assume at some point they don’t really want to work here,” he wrote. “You can be the nicest, sweetest person in the world and still do dumb things that make you unemployable. But holding someone accountable for their actions doesn’t mean you lack compassion.”
Ramsey discusses his own experiences with employees and PTO
Ramsey explained that he has run into conflicts with workers and expectations around paid time off at Ramsey Solutions.
“We’ve had situations at my company where someone runs through their PTO, then something comes up,” he wrote. “We evaluate the situation, and we might extend some grace and give them extra paid time off. Sometimes we might give time off, but it’s unpaid. Other times, it might be out of the question to give the time off (or for the person to keep their job at that point). Every situation’s different, and we decide things like that on a case-by-case basis.”
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Ramsey commented on Kate’s employee’s specific case.
“Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this lady’s desire to have a family,” he wrote. “I think that’s a great thing. But she knew these treatments were in her future when she took the other PTO. You’re showing great concern and compassion for your employee, Kate, but it’s almost like you want her to win more than she wants to win.”
“God forbid, but let’s pretend this lady’s husband was in a bad car wreck,” Ramsey wrote. “She’s going to need time off to help take care of him. Of course, she gets extra PTO. No question, that deserves some grace. And if any of your other employees don’t understand that or like it, they can hit the road. But that’s not the case, is it? This lady had a planned life event, and she messed up her time off situation all by herself.”
Ramsey suggested that this might be an instance where Kate showed a little too much compassion and is now having to deal with the consequences.
“I think in this situation, you probably let your compassion go a little too far, and now you’re having a hard time with the consequences,” he wrote. “If it were me, I’d give this lady a little extra PTO for the treatments, but I’d also have a gentle but firm talk with her about managing time off more wisely.”
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with putting reasonable boundaries on compassion.”
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