The pace at work is not slowing down. In fact, most agree it is speeding up. Employers should care for their employees enough to offer more than vacation time benefits. They should also encourage employees to take extended time off. Having a well-rested workforce will improve morale and productivity. And in the long run, happy and rested employees will improve the bottom line.
Maybe it's part of America's Puritan work ethic. But many employees, and employers, tend to take a dim view of vacations. Vacation or paid time off is typically an earned benefit. But many workers don't take all their vacation time by the end of the year. Many companies do not allow unused time to be rolled over into future years.
Research shows that our health suffers if we don't take a break from work. Good evidence of the effects of vacations is found in the Framingham Heart Study. Over 12,000 men who were at risk for heart disease were followed over nine years. The study wanted to see if there were ways to improve their longevity. Among the questions they were asked each year were some about vacations.
The study showed that the more frequent the vacations, the longer the men lived. The men who took vacations tended to be better educated and have a higher income. These are people who tend to be healthier and to live longer anyway. It's also possible that sick people don't enjoy taking vacations. But the study shows that there are health benefits to taking time off.
So you should encourage your employees to take all their vacation time. It can actually help them be even more productive. Workers come back more relaxed and energized.
Just follow these steps from technorati.com and you'll reap the rewards of a happier workforce.
Promote vacations.
Employers should ask employees to block out their vacation times. This helps a couple things. First, it gets vacations on the calendar. It also allows time to work things out when several employees request the same time off.
Plan employee backup.
There's a good reason many employees don't take vacations. They fear all the backlogged work when they return. Employers should cross train staff to cover for each other. That way, employees can return to work without a huge backlog.
Set limits for working on vacation.
Employers should set the example so employees don't work while on vacation. Make a policy that contacting employees on vacation should only be done in a true emergency. This will allow workers the time to disconnect and recharge.
Give your workers more flexibility.
Most employees want flexibility with their schedules more than any other benefit. In fact, 38 percent of workers want more flexible schedules during the summer. A survey by OfficeTeam shows that is the most popular benefit. Leaving early on Friday was the second most wanted summer benefit. Events such as company picnics and relaxed dress codes were less popular.
If you're thinking about offering flexible scheduling for your workers, there are several factors to take into account. First, can you offer the option to all employees? Some workers' jobs may make it impossible to offer flexible schedules. But if you only offer that benefit to some, it could cause tension between employees. Second, will your customers be affected? Will service suffer because employees are not there during core hours? How much creative scheduling can you allow? Your decisions depend on your employees' jobs the impact on your company.
Genevieve Roberts, of Richmond-based Titan Group, offers one example of how a company offers flexibility. At Accenture, they offer a program called Future Leave. This program is a self-funded vacation that employees plan for ahead of time. Workers save part of their income in the months before their vacation. Then, they can draw on those saved earnings while away.
Employees working at flexible companies produce big benefits for their employers. They're more likely to be engaged with their jobs. They're more likely to stay with their employer. And they're more likely to be in better mental health.
Even letting employees leave early on Fridays once in a while builds morale. They can get a jump on their leisure activities.
Karen Matthews, of the University of Pittsburgh, reports that leisure activities are like mini-vacations. Matthews says people who took part in more of them "reported more life satisfaction." Other benefits may be lower blood pressure and lower stress hormones.
