María Méndez, founder and president of VIAHR, presented Cardinal Pietro Parolin with the foundation’s mission statement—which stemmed from a promise made to Pope Francis—so that it might reach Leo XIV.
A break, understood as a right of every person and as a prerequisite for working with dignity. That is the mission of Vacation Is A Human Right (VIAHR), a nonprofit foundation based in New York, founded by María Méndez of Dominican Republic, which prevents workplace burnout through research, data analysis, and its own methodology, the PAUSA® Method.
This week in Rome, Méndez presented the foundation's mission to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, and, through him, symbolically entrusted it to Pope Leo XIV.
The event took place as part of the 11th International Certificate Program on “Leadership for Equity,” organized by the International Academy of Catholic Leaders in collaboration with the Pontifical Antonianum University. On Tuesday, October 6, the founder of VIAHR spoke on the panel “Leadership for Equity in Business,” alongside Silvia Costantini, strategic advisor at VIAHR, Alfredo Motta, and Borja Pérez de Brea.
“I presented Cardinal Parolin with a description of who we are and what we do, with the hope that it would reach the Holy Father. For me, it was a matter of entrusting VIAHR’s mission to Pope Leo,” explained Méndez.
The foundation has its roots in a personal commitment. “I promised Pope Francis that I would dedicate my work to ensuring that rest is recognized for what it is: a human right. That promise has now taken the form of a foundation,” he said.
The name is based on a specific principle. Article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has recognized the right to rest, to the enjoyment of leisure time, and to periodic paid vacations since 1948. St. John Paul II, in paragraph 19 of the encyclical *Laborem exercens*, included weekly rest and annual vacations among the rights of workers.
“I find it significant that the Pope today is named Leo, just like the author of *Rerum novarum*, ”Méndez noted. Leo XIV himself has spoken of the value of this time: last July, from Castel Gandolfo, he invited the faithful to combine their rest with moments of silence and prayer.
A Matter of Health and Equity
In 2019, the World Health Organization added burnout to its International Classification of Diseases as an occupational phenomenon resulting from poorly managed chronic work-related stress. Two years later, the WHO and the International Labor Organization estimated that workweeks of 55 hours or more caused 745,000 deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease in 2016—a 29% increase from the year 2000.
For the founder of VIAHR, these figures have faces. “Rest is distributed very unevenly. Those who hold down two jobs to make ends meet, the mother who single-handedly cares for a child with special needs, or the nurse working back-to-back shifts are the first to lose their recovery time,” she said.
“A company that cares about everyone’s rest—from the executive down to the newest hire—provides something more valuable than money: it provides health and time,” he added. Méndez also recalled that Pope Francis, in paragraph 237 of the Laudato si’, described rest as a broadening of one’s perspective that allows us to recognize the rights of others anew.
From Rome to United United Nations
VIAHR works with individuals, companies, and institutions to help make taking a break a real and measurable practice. The foundation has partnered with international foundations in the field of sports and collaborates with various universities around the world. Together with CEU San Pablo University, it will host the event “The Conscious Break as a Competitive Advantage” on October 20 in Madrid.
On November 19, the United Nations headquarters in New York will host the 4th VIAHR International Congress, titled “The Power of Pause in High Performance,” which will bring together experts, companies, and institutions to discuss high performance and burnout prevention.
