Did you know that 73% of UK employees don’t use up all of their annual leave? That means that only a quarter of us are actually making the most of our time off allowance. It’s no wonder that more people than ever are reporting feelings of burnout, listlessness and tension at work.
Even if you let your team roll-over their days, here are five reasons why you should be encouraging them not to stick around at their desks for too long:
- Built up stress is harder to shake off. Even the most exciting workplace in the world can have its stressful moments. If you want your team to be ready when you need them, they have to be able to stay cool under pressure. Burn-out is more of a risk when stressful behaviours become habits, while stretches away from the office gives everyone a chance to decompress.
- New experiences boost creativity. No one ever had a stroke of genius while staring at their inbox. Holidays are an opportunity to see the world, learn something new and get inspired. If your team are tackling new challenges every day, ensuring everyone has a chance to clear their minds might be all they need to fit in the missing piece when they return!
- Computer screens can wear you down. Laptops are incredible things, but they can lead to poor posture, eye strain and headaches on a daily basis. Insist that your gang move away from the screen when they’re off the clock…including not checking their emails.
- Relationships are everything. You might be their boss, their mentor and even their best office-friend, but unless something seriously weird is going on you’re probably not also their mum, their boyfriend and their dog. Everyone needs time to enjoy being in the company of their support network. Even better, those people will all be on your side as a result.
- You’ll appreciate them in their absence. There’s no better way to understand what someone does all day than by trying to pick up the slack while they’re away. If it’s appropriate, take the opportunity to wear their shoes for a few days. Depending on their role (and your schedule), this can be an amazing way to get back in touch with a part of the business you’ve moved away from.
We probably don’t need to work too hard to persuade you that annual leave should be more than just an opt-in affair. Keep track of how your team are doing (without accidentally ending up with an empty office!) by using CharlieHR’s Time Off Booking feature, and your whole company will feel the benefits in less time than it takes to order a cocktail by the pool!