Taking Time Off During a Pandemic: Q&A with KAYAK and OpenTable’s SVP of People & Culture
It likely comes as no surprise that employees are taking fewer vacation days due to the pandemic. With many people working from home, personal and professional boundaries are increasingly blurred. In addition to balancing professional demands, many people are taking on additional roles like teacher or caregiver. According to a survey from global staffing firm, Robert Half, 28% fewer days have been taken off in summer 2020 compared to summer 2019.
With that in mind, we spoke with Senior VP of People and Culture at KAYAK and OpenTable, Simon Jones, to learn more about how our brands are supporting employees during the pandemic, what we’re doing to prioritize mental health and wellness, and why taking time off is important now more than ever.
Why is it important for employees to take time off and prioritize mental health during such a difficult time?
Change can be hard for us. Usually when we go through change we can look at past experiences to make sense of it. The challenge here is that we’re facing change that none of us have experienced before. We can’t make sense of it and the future feels uncertain. This can be a major source of stress. Add in working from home with children, or feelings of being alone, the fear of you or loved ones getting sick, the fear of losing your job, etc. All this while still facing everyday stress can make it difficult to stay positive and maintain good mental health. The important thing to remember is: you have to put your own oxygen mask on first. To some, the concept of saving yourself first seems selfish but it’s necessary. If we don’t put our own mental health first then there is a big risk of burnout.
What are KAYAK and OpenTable doing to help employees prioritize mental health and wellness? Which action do you think has been most impactful?
Within days of closing our offices, we shared guides on how to work from home (WFH). Before this, most of our employees had not worked outside the office for an extended period of time. This shift can, and has, come with struggles. When working from home, the physical separation between work and home life disappears, and can easily start to blend together. Employees are working longer hours or feeling like they always have to be available. Our offices are also a major source of social interaction which people quickly came to miss. So, our WFH guides also included ways to connect with your coworkers and team even while not physically together.
A lot of parents also find WFH extremely difficult while also caring for children. I faced this personally with four boys under five years old. Finding more than 30 minutes at a time to dedicate to work was a real challenge and I made up for it by working 2–3 hours each evening. The first action we took at KAYAK and OpenTable was promoting flexibility and understanding. We followed this up by stressing the need for fewer meetings and introducing “Meeting-light Wednesday.” Avoiding meetings on Wednesdays was a way of giving another day of flexibility, so teams could focus on their work or home life based on their own needs.
Most recently we rolled out a company-paid subscription to Headspace for all of our employees. Headspace is a guided meditation app with a variety of programs around topics from controlling your stress to helping you sleep.
The idea of mindfulness has been around for a long time but has become increasingly popular by the widespread stress that this pandemic has brought on. It’s more important than ever for companies to invest in the mental health of employees. The foundation of all of this is company leadership that understands that employees are facing difficult times and this can impact our performance while we’re all going through this. I am proud to say that we have that at KAYAK and OpenTable.
In 2020, travel has taken on new meanings, from visiting family nearby to exploring a local park. How have employees at KAYAK and OpenTable shifted their travel plans?
As a company passionate about travel, dining and experiencing the world, we’re eager to begin exploring again, but we have to adjust to our new reality, at least for now. When lockdowns first began it was clear that employees were hesitant to take vacation days. Employees wanted to save them until they could travel. With lockdowns, health concerns, and travel restrictions going on for more than 5 months, many who are used to traveling globally are opting for local destinations that provide flexibility, comfort, and a stronger sense of safety. Planning future trips is also a great way to stay in a travel state of mind. Personally, I’m really looking forward to taking my kids to Disney for the first time when I feel it’s safe to do so.
What are your favorite activities to unplug and unwind?
Anything outside. I love going on hikes with my family and recently picked up kayaking again. For me it’s about getting away from technology (especially my phone) and connecting with people while getting some exercise.
Are people at KAYAK and OpenTable taking their vacation days?
I’m happy to say that we are now. Vacation days usage dropped in March and then was at an all-time low in April. Since then it has steadily increased and I’m glad to say that on average we took more vacation days in July 2020 than compared to last year. For the sake of our mental health I would love for that trend to continue.
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Have you used your vacation days? If not, consider this your reminder. Get more tips on working from home and setting boundaries from KAYAK employees here.
