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 2014 time off requests that flowed through Namely—from every paid time off policy to sick days and everything in between. that flowed through 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.
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.