It probably wasn't. In many places in Europe it's legally mandated for employees to have 1 big leave per year, at least 2 weeks, so that they can fully unwind.

https://www.codulmuncii.ro/titlul_3/capitolul_3_1.html

> (5) In cazul in care programarea concediilor se face fractionat, angajatorul este obligat sa stabileasca programarea astfel incat fiecare salariat sa efectueze intr-un an calendaristic cel putin 10 zile lucratoare de concediu neintrerupt.

"at least 10 working days of non-interrupted leave"

Of course, this is not always enforced, but many countries to have it as part of the labor code.

Sounds like these are recommendations some organizations can use or substitute by better methods of auditing. I would argue that if fraud can be covered by the presence of an individual, the problem is with the audit processes and controls in place.

Plus the individual being aware of the requirement could easily circumvent by only stealing every quarter or every month :-)

"Required Absences from Sensitive Positions" - https://www.newyorkfed.org/banking/circulars/10923.html