Vacation Benefits
Holidays are essential to healthy workers, yet three in ten put holidays on standby and don’t use all of their vacation benefits. Vacation deprivation surveys indicated that Canadians are not taking all of their yearly allotted vacation days. If your company data shows the same, then your company could be in trouble.
“Canadians are hard working by nature, and more hours spent on the job can often mean less quality time with friends and loved ones and can negatively impact one’s mental and physical health,” says stress and wellness expert Beverly Beuermann-King.
Canadians who do take a vacation report major positive effects including feeling rejuvenated and connected to their personal life (1/2), and feeling better about their job and feeling more productive (1/3). “Vacations are important because they encourage play, allowing individuals to reconnect away from the stresses associated with everyday life,” adds Beuermann-King.
Not Using Your Vacation Benefits Costs
It may be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that employees who don’t use up their allotted time are actually costing the company less. In fact, the Expedia.ca survey calculates that more than $6 billion is being handed back to employers in unused holidays each year. However, employees who do not access all of their allotted vacation are probably costing the company in the long run through increased sick time, accident rates, burnout and prescription benefits.
Employees who don’t take their allotted time may experience more stress-related symptoms such as mood swings, frustration, irritability, pessimism, feelings of being rushed, pushed or tired, more headaches, sleep difficulties and gastrointestinal disorders. Overworked and vacation-deprived employees tend not to communicate as effectively, problem solve as efficiently and are not as creative or energized as those who do take their allotted vacation time.
“Many of us are working under the false belief that more in always equals more out,” says Beuermann-King. “Unfortunately our bodies and minds can only work at peak efficiency for so long before they start to break down and shut down.”
Importance of Using Vacation Benefits
As Canadian employees, we believe that vacations are important for keeping healthy. A previous Expedia.ca and Ipsos Reid survey found that 94% of us think that accessing all of our vacation days is important to managing stress.
“To truly benefit from vacation time, employees must use all of their allotted time. For most individuals, taking a day here or there isn’t enough to fully relieve built-up stress. Workers need to set up specific periods devoted to relaxation, to release accumulated tension and return to work recharged and ready to go,” reports Beuermann-King.
Leadership and Vacation Benefits
However, it may not be the employee who is not valuing the benefits of vacation time. Some leaders see vacation time as a nuisance and a disruption to the productivity of the group. Some leaders make it difficult to take time off even when the employee is entitled. Canadians believe that employers can minimize vacation deprivation by lightening their workload and encouraging them to take time off.
Human resource personnel need to evaluate the vacation benefits usage within their corporate teams to see if some individuals may be on the verge of burnout. They also need to look for patterns that may indicate that some leaders are hindering the use of this recognized health benefit.
In this day, when dollars are tight and new wellness programs are difficult to initiate, we need to look at the wellness programs that we currently have in place to see if they are effective and efficient. Vacation benefits usage is one of the most common corporate wellness programs. Vacation benefits usage needs to be evaluated, as it can be an early indicator of individual and team difficulties, which may negatively impact the corporate bottom line.
When asked if technological advances make it easier to take vacations, many felt that technological advances have made it more difficult to get away from work. “It is becoming increasingly difficult for Canadians to break away and enjoy a real vacation, given our technology,” says Beuermann-King.
“Technology and online vacation planning tools should be used to help us find the right vacation but we need to leave work at work while we are away as best as we can”, recommends Beuermann-King.
Vacation benefits represent more than just time away from the office; they embody a vital investment in both the well-being of employees and the overall success of the organization. Encouraging employees to utilize their vacation time not only fosters a healthier work-life balance and reduces burnout but also enhances productivity, creativity, and morale upon their return. For employers, prioritizing vacation benefits demonstrates a commitment to employee satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, long-term organizational success. By recognizing the intrinsic value of vacation benefits and actively promoting their utilization, leaders can cultivate a culture of rejuvenation, resilience, and peak performance, ensuring a thriving workforce poised for excellence in the years ahead.
.
Contact Beverly about hosting a stress management workshop for your teams on how to reduce stress at work. Discover tips to deal with stress and encourage workplace wellness!
.
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
Additional Resources: