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HAPPY (PAID) HOLIDAYS TO ALL Did you know that there’s no federal mandate for paid vacation in the United States? In fact, according to the

Fair Labor Standards Act, federal law doesn’t require vacation leave at all. Instead, states or employers

themselves have the right to determine holiday, vacation, and sick leave on their own discretion.

Submitted by The RiseSmart Team

It might be hard for most of us to imagine a full-time job without paid time off (PTO) because it’s actually a

very rare occurrence. Despite the absence of a federal mandate, 90 percent of full-time private industry

employees and 74 percent of full-time state and local government workers were granted paid holiday in 2015.

Days like New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, among others, are expected to be

paid holidays by most Americans.

In today’s workforce, paid holidays have become a normal part of compensation—in addition to sick leave and

vacation—largely to attract and retain talent. According to PwC, Millennials in particular are keen on company

perks that allow for greater work-life balance and more workplace flexibility. And the benefit isn’t limited to

the employee. Paid holidays will give employees a chance to unwind, de-stress and return to work with new

focus and greater productivity.

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Unfortunately, virtually no company is in a position to offer up every single holiday as a paid day off. So how

do you choose? Well, an easy way to determine which holidays will be the most natural fit for your business is

to look at which holidays make most sense to your customers. If you’re a financial services firm, you may do

well to observe bank holidays. If your business is dependent on revenues from holiday shoppers, perhaps

avoid closing on the big shopping holidays. Adjusting your own holidays based on predicted business from

your clients could help mitigate unnecessary loss of profit and efficiency.

You might also consider the end of the year as a prime time for paid holiday. Thanks to Christmas and New

Year’s Day, some organizations see a bit of slowdown in business this time of the year. As one of the most

widely-celebrated holidays in the U.S., Christmas is a natural paid holiday for a vast majority of companies.

However, a few companies like Bay Area giants Oracle, HP and Cisco are going further than just closing on

Christmas Eve and Day by conducting shutdowns between Christmas and the New Year. During this

traditionally unproductive week, employees are asked to work remotely, if at all—something that will appeal

to a workforce ever more attuned to opportunities for flexible work.

Regardless of which holidays you choose, though, know that your employees and your business will benefit.

And with so many Americas letting paid vacation time go to waste, it may be that turning off the clock on

particular holidays is the best way to get your employees to commit to some rest and relaxation.

About RiseSmart RiseSmart, a Randstad company, is a leading provider of contemporary career transition services that

strengthen employer brands, improve retention and re-engage talent. RiseSmart's contemporary approach to

outplacement combines personalized services from trained professionals with unmatched technology

delivered through a convenient, cloud-based platform.

For more information about how enterprise career management can help you, visit

http://www.risesmart.com.