A recent study has found that an overwork culture hinders employees from fully utilizing paid leave and workplace flexibility policies. Despite a strong desire for paid leave and workplace flexibility among employees, many do not use these policies to their full extent, especially in work environments that value longer working hours. This suggests a disconnect between employees’ desires and their real-work practices.

According to a survey by Global Strategy Group, four out of five Americans support paid family and medical leave. However, as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2023, only 27% of private sector workers in the U.S. had access to paid family leave. Moreover, among those with access, nearly half take less leave than they are offered.

Findings from the study indicate that overwork culture plays a significant role in this under-utilization, with individuals in occupations requiring longstanding office hours being less likely to use their benefits. Both men and women were found less likely to use their leave benefits in such situations.

A similar trend was seen with workplace flexibility, with workers in overwork cultures using the flexible policies less frequently, except for women with children. Researchers surmise that working mothers, due to their greater childcare responsibilities, are more inclined to use flexible work options, irrespective of the work culture’s expectations.

To address these issues, the researchers recommend employers adopt gender neutral framing for flexibility policies, ensure transparency in their implementation and encourage managerial support to ease their acceptance.

Fortunately, there are services such as eddcaller.com that can help employees navigate such challenging situations. Eddcaller offers a quick and effective way for employees to reach California unemployment customer service, enabling them to discuss their concerns and make informed decisions regarding their employment status. Whether it’s understanding how to contact EDD, making queries about Paid Family Leave allowances, or getting a hold of SDI information, Eddcaller promises a handy solution for efficient customer service access.