Are You Giving Your Employees Enough Time Off?

March 14, 2018 | 2,796 views

Are You Giving Your Employees Enough Time Off?

Are You Giving Your Employees Enough Time Off?

As an employer, you know that you work your best when you have your entire team at the table ready and willing to give their all. As valuable as this is, the reality is that even the best employees benefit from time away from the office. That’s the premise of Project: Time Off, a new concept that encourages people to take time off.

 

About Project: Time Off

Project: Time Off found that every year 662 million vacation days go unused. It was this type of research that prompted this non-profit organization to lead a national movement to transform the American mindset about vacation. Their goal? To help more people see the benefit to restoring personal wellbeing, and how taking time off can actually contribute to professional success, business performance, and overall economic expansion.

 

It sounds pretty good, right? Here’s some of the research cited by this organization that makes it sound even more appealing to both employees and employers:

 

78% of survey respondents in a Project: Time Off survey said they felt more comfortable taking time off if they knew they could access the office.

 

But, 51% of employees who check in frequently with work report more stress in their home life.

 

74% of people looking for a new job say that paid vacation is “extremely” or “very” important.

 

What can you do to restore the wellbeing in your office? Don’t just encourage your team to use vacation days – make their vacation days worthwhile. Here are a few ways to do so.

 

1. Stress the Importance of Not Working While On Vacation

Employees might like feeling connected to the office while they’re gone, but it should be made crystal clear that they’re not expected to check in or respond while out of the office. It’s one thing to have a connection to your schedule, so you know when you’re working when you return, and another thing to be responding to emails and tackling projects from the beach. Let your team connect on their terms.

 

2. Set the Example

The same research found that the more connected a manager was on his vacation, the more likely he was to say no to employee’s vacations. This is troublesome because it doesn’t just leave an employee feeling responsible for working while away from the office, but it also leaves the employee feeling disrespected by upper management. This feeling, whether true or not, can ultimately cause the employee to disengage and thus, produce less.

 

Set the example for your team by unplugging. You can still leave your team running like a well-oiled machine by harnessing technology and giving a little more power back to them while you’re out of the office. This behavior makes your team feel trusted, valued, and yes, engaged.

 

3. Create a Culture That Values Vacation

If you want to attract and retain the best talent, encouraging your team to take time off is important. Not doing so could set your business back because more employees start looking elsewhere. The higher your turnover rate on your team, the harder you have to work to train new employees up. To end the cycle, create a culture that values vacation.

 

When Was the Last Time You Took a Vacation?

If it’s been awhile, now’s the time to hit the road and explore. The more you set the example for your team, the more they’ll follow and be thankful they did. So, where will you go on your next trip?

 

 

Author Profile Jon Forknell is the Vice President and General Manager of Atlas Business Solutions, Inc., a software marketing company specializing in employee scheduling software, including ScheduleBase employee scheduling software, and other business software solutions. In the past, Jon has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Atlas Business Solutions was named as one of Software Magazine’s Top 500 Software Companies in 2004 through 2007 and again in 2010, 2013 and 2014.

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