With vaccine rollout, employers can expect deluge of time-off requests

As the weather turns warmer and COVID-19 vaccines become more available, employers shouldn't be surprised if their employees start scrambling to get on the vacation schedule. After all, they've been cooped up for better than a year. Now that restrictions are being eased and vaccinated people are making plans to catch up on what they've missed, pent-up demand for time off is likely to leave employers struggling to figure out how to maintain productivity while simultaneously helping employees recover from burnout.

Get ready for requests

For years, surveys have shown that many American workers don't take all the time off they earn. This year may be different, however. In February, travel booking website Expedia released its Annual Vacation Deprivation study, showing an uptick in travel plans for 2021.

The company noted that vacation deprivation levels have risen over the years, but this year's survey found that globally, 81% of people not only value time off more than they did before, they also plan to use more of their vacation days. The study also found that 92% of people believe regular vacations are important, but 53% say they have been too busy at work to use all their time.

Another finding from the study: Time between vacations has increased. The study found 26% of U.S. respondents said they haven't taken a vacation in over a year. That number was 16% in 2019. Also, 47% reported using at least one vacation day in 2020 to care for a sick family member or because childcare wasn't available.