Companies Offer Carryover to Employees

As the weather heats up, workers are feeling the itch to pack their bags and take a vacation. Whether theyíre headed to the beach or the slopes, their organizationsí time off policies will play a role in their travel plans this year. According to the Benefits USA annual survey of more than 5,400 benefits plans, 55 percent of organizations allow carryover of vacation days with 85.3 percent of those placing a cap on the number of days carried over.

An organizationís policy on carryover can have large implications on employees and the company. According to the survey, the maximum number of carryover days allowed to exempt employees is 20.1, while non-exempt have 19.5 days on average. In comparison, 14.7 percent of companies allowing carryover have no limit. In some states, companies are expected to reimburse employees for unused vacation days.

Vacation day policies have changed little over the last three years despite the recent focus on work-life balance, said Amy Kaminski, manager of marketing programs for Compdata Surveys. How organizations choose to package their time off policies could affect employee attraction and retention.

Exempt workers are offered 7.3 vacation days on average in their first year and 10.5 after theyíve been with an organization for a year. Those with five to nine years of experience are given 14.6 days on average. In comparison, employees who have worked for a company for 20 to 24 years can expect to have approximately 20.9 days.

The number of vacation days offered varies by industry. Not-for-profit, health care and government exempt employees are offered the highest number of days in their first year, 11.7, 11.2 and 10.5. In contrast, hospitality, distribution and real estate/construction have the lowest days provided in the first year, 3.5, 4.2 and 5.9. While the number of days off varies by industry in the first 15 years, there is relatively little difference after an employee has been with a company for that length of time.