The auto industry used to have a practice called “summer shutdown”. Almost all plants would go down for a week or two every summer. This would allow companies to plan maintenance and training while employees got to plan a vacation, medical procedure, or just enjoy some down time. Looks like that was an idea ahead of its time. CNBC shares this story about a “new” trend in Taking a vacaton from work may soon become mandatory….
With burnout prevalent in the workplace, some employers are considering mandatory vacation, full office shutdowns and other ways to get workaholic employees to take a break.
Only a small number of employers today — 8.7% — require workers to take a minimum amount of vacation, and some of this is for legal or regulatory reasons, according to a 2024 report by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Even so, figuring out how to get employees to take time off is increasingly on employers’ minds, said Julie Stich, vice president of content at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
Should GM return to the practice of company paid summer shutdowns?
( free graphic by Alexa from Pixabay)
