July is National French-American Heritage Month — a time to honor the contributions of French-Americans throughout our country’s history. With over 12 million Americans of either French or French-Canadian descent, this community continues to have a prominent influence on many aspects of American culture.

Unfortunately for us in the U.S., one part of our culture remains untouched by the French persuasion. I recently learned that French labor laws entitle anyone working 35 hours or more per week to five weeks of paid leave each year. In fact, in terms of paid time off, France is second only to the UK, where employees are offered 28 paid leave days in addition to public holidays. In Japan, full-time employees observe 15 public holidays and are required to take 10 days of paid leave each year.

Where does the U.S. fall in this arrangement? Regrettably, the U.S. is the only developed country that doesn’t require companies to provide paid-time off for their employees. Even for those that do, a survey by the U.S. Travel Association reports that many who are offered paid leave simply aren’t using it. In 2016, U.S. workers left 206 million paid vacation days on the table!

This week’s Simply Good article explains why this trend is detrimental to employers and employees alike. At Rework Work, we have a hybrid approach with one mandatory vacation period per year (which is coming up August 22 through September 5), in addition to federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Years Day.

However, before we close the office for our two-week hiatus we will be launching our new learning pathway on the Rework Work Community page! This collection of courses is specifically designed to help those wanting to make a career change and enter the DEI space. A LinkedIn Learning license is required for access to these courses, so we’ve outlined a few ways to get access at low cost or even for free. Check out What’s Happening for more details about our upcoming Online Pathway for Pivoting to a Career in DEI.

Also, have you checked out our other Rework Work Community resources? As a member, you have access to courses, articles, research, and discussion, all centered around improving your workplace culture, and many are free! Not a member yet? Come join us!

Finally, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), people are quitting their jobs in droves. This week’s Simply Diversity explores why talent is walking out, and what your organization can do to stop it.