I'd guess he means not actually going on a holiday but "taking" your holiday in the form of additional pay instead. It could be thought of as an indication tha

I'd guess he means not actually going on a holiday but "taking" your holiday in the form of additional pay instead. It could be thought of as an indication that the employee in question is a dutiful little peon, which some bosses would probably like. On the other hand, if someone tried to do this in Finland in July, when practically the whole country is on summer holiday and workplaces are very nearly totally empty, it might not work that well.