With summer approaching, this is the time of year when most people start to plan their summer getaways. However, vacation plans this year have probably changed due to the pandemic.
We’re living in uncertain times right now, and there’s a good chance that you and your staff haven’t taken a day off recently. However, taking time off is an integral part of doing a great job. Disconnecting from work helps employees recharge their batteries and return feeling refreshed and ready to do their best.
Encourage Staff to Take Some “Me” Time
Even before the pandemic, U.S. workers weren’t using their vacation. For example, a Glassdoor poll from 2017 found that employees who received paid time off had only used about half (54%) of their PTO during the previous 12 month period.
Why aren’t employees using their time off? According to another survey, nearly one-third of employees felt it was nearly impossible to take time off because they had too much work to do, and one out of every five employees felt guilty about taking a vacation.
The problem is that staff who don’t use their paid vacation will, over time, become less productive and less efficient. Deadlines, meetings, and clients create all kinds of stress that impact our brain function. Without time away from work, our brains find it harder to relax and recover and, over time, become less able to decompress. This, in turn, makes it harder to handle work-related stress and impedes our ability to perform our best.
Vacations help reduce stress (something everyone probably needs right now), and a vacation from work can help reduce work-related stress, because disconnecting allows our brains to recover from the routine worry and strain we may face.
Just 24 hours away from the job can help our brains refresh and strengthen the neural connections that help us cope with stress.
Given stress levels and uncertainty about the future, taking some “me” time right now is more important than ever for brain health, performance improvement, and general well-being.
How to Encourage Employees to Take Time off
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Of course, taking a pandemic vacation is easier said than done. Right now, due to high unemployment rates, many employees are probably far more worried about their job’s longevity than taking a break.
However, your staff probably don’t realize how stressed they are—and they probably won’t fully understand the impact until they take a day off from work.
Though the prospect of taking a day off could create anxiety or stress for your employees, with some gentle guidance, you can help them feel good about taking a much-needed break.
Support Your Staff (But Don’t Force Them)
Start by helping staff feel comfortable about taking time off, and gently encourage them not to check in with work when they are “out of the office.” Reassure them that taking a day or two off, no matter when or why, will not negatively impact their next performance evaluation. Unfortunately, vacation shaming is a real phenomenon that employees fear can hinder their career progress.
Checking up on things, no matter how briefly, defeats the purpose and doesn’t allow the brain to recover from work stress. If necessary, remind them that the team has their back and will handle anything that happens. And, if something the team can’t handle does come up, it can wait until they return.
That said, don’t force staff to take a vacation during the pandemic, either. Though regular vacations should be encouraged throughout the year, these are not regular times.
For some people, work may be a release valve, giving them something other than the present to focus on. Work could represent a necessary and welcome distraction. However, watch for signs of employee burnout or stress, and encourage staff to reconsider a vacation day if you notice performance issues.
Set an Example
The best thing you can do to encourage your staff to take a vacation day is to follow your own advice.
Make sure you aren’t checking in with the office, either. For starters, you may leave staff with the impression that you don’t trust them to do their jobs or handle the work without you. By staying out of touch, you’ll help set the standard that no one—not even the boss—should check in on their day off.
Planning for Vacation Days
Encouraging staff to take time off right now is only half of the battle. Because it’s a real possibility that employees haven’t taken any vacation time in the last several weeks or months, many are probably sitting on a large bank of paid time off. Make sure you think strategically about how you let employees take time off during and after the pandemic.
Consider Implementing Blackout Dates
It’s better not to place restrictions on when staff can take time off, but due to these unprecedented circumstances, you may have to institute blackout dates for using vacation days.
Let staff know now what the future holds so they can plan ahead. If, for example, you need a minimum amount of staff during certain times, let them know now that you will be instituting blackout dates around those holidays, and only X amount of staff can take those days off.
Alternatively, you could “force” the issue by telling staff that they must take three to five paid days off before a certain date. Because it’s paid, staff may be more inclined to follow through, but make sure you’re prepared to address the concerns of resistant team members. This will also prevent a large back-log from compiling, resulting in most employees using extended periods of time off at the end of the year during the same time.
As part of your planning, consider offering priority status to those staff who had to work on the front lines. If there are certain people who have to work with the public or go into an office, let them get the first pick of their vacation days as a thank you for all that they have done.
Offer a PTO Buyout
Unfortunately, you may still have staff that can’t (or won’t) take time off. While you can force them to take it with a use it or lose it policy, that may not be the wisest choice right now.
Instead, consider buying out excess vacation time, if you can afford it. If this is something you’ve never done (and won’t do in the future), make it clear that this is a one-time offer and that staff shouldn’t count on it going forward.
Rest Up
Balancing work and play is the best way to get the most out of your staff. Of course, that means as the boss, you need to set the example and balance your work and life, too.
For more advice on how to help staff balance work and play, read Work-Life Balance is Essential for Workforce Health and 3 Ways to Encourage Work-Life Balance for Your Remote Employees.
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