Time Off Requests Infographic
PTO

Time off Requests: Popular Times and Reasons (Infographic)

The Most Popular Time Off Requests Are... 

Taking time off at a transparent company means letting your boss know exactly why you're heading out the door, whether it's for jetskiing or jedi training. So what would it look like if you compiled every time off request taken year-round? Or what if you compiled 47,000 time off requests?

That's exactly what we did! We looked at all of the time off requests that flowed through Namely during one full year. From paid time off policy to sick days and everything in between, we looked at time off requests recorded by Namely's modern HR, payroll, and benefits solution.

Without further ado, let's take a look at what employees everywhere took the time for last year.

#1 Popular Reasons To Take Time Off

The most popular year-round words for all time off requests were: Wedding, Sick, Holiday, Family, Trip, Christmas, Birthday, Appointment, Travel, Thanksgiving, and Moving. 

#2 Most Popular Days of The Week

Friday was far and away the most popular day of the week for time off requests, accounting for 27% of all requested time.

#3 Longest Vacations

People took the longest vacations in summer (June, July, and August). The yearly average duration of a time off request was 2.34 days.

#4 Most Popular Month for Time Off

But people took the most vacations in December. On average, an employee requested PTO twice as often compared to almost any other month. August and July did come close, though, in second and third place respectively.

#5 Most Romantic Season

The most romantic season: summer, featuring the most uses of the words wedding, married, and marrying.

#6 Sickest Season

The sickest season: autumn, with 17% more sick time requested than the average.
 

#7 Unexpected Request For Time Off

A popular request you wouldn't expect? Pest control. It was the most common occurrence of two words together (excluding names and geographical locations).
 

A complete HR solution like Namely makes tracking time off a breeze. Employees file their own requests in line with your exact company policy. Then, seamlessly pull work hours directly into payroll.

Whether for just a few days a quarter or unlimited PTO, we've got 47,000 happy days and counting.

Time off can be a huge driver of employee loyalty and productivity. Our guide explains how to take your PTO policy to the next level.

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See how Namely's flexible solution will help you streamline your HR processes by having your people, payroll, and benefits info all in on place.

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