What to do and what not to do within the rules of summer vacation

Travel to the beach. Attend barbecues at family gatherings. Go camping in the mountains. Chain yourself to a desk at work.

When you think back to summer, one of these activities does not fit. However, employees are increasingly nervous about taking paid time off for a Summer vacation. They have doubts as to whether or not their employer actually supports them taking time off.

In fact, a recently released in 2018 U.S. Vacation State Report from Project: Time Off found that 62 percent of employees feel that their company is sending mixed messages about vacationing. Since leaving the office is not explicitly encouraged, 52 percent of employees report having unused vacation days at the end of the year.

Help employees this summer by changing the way your organization approaches time off. These are the pros and cons of supporting employees during the holidays:

Do not assume that employees feel comfortable in their free time.

Great employees are constantly trying to prove that they are valuable to their company. As a result, many struggle with leaving for a week, letting others take on their responsibilities. In fact, the Project: Time Off survey found that 61 percent of employees are nervous about vacationing because they don’t want to look replaceable.

Give your team peace of mind and support vacations and their benefits. Paid time off helps employees relax and return to the office refreshed. Let employees know that you understand the importance of vacations by connecting with those who have accumulated piles of paid time off.

Ask them if they have plans for a trip anytime soon. Use phrases like “you deserve time off” or “you earned your vacation.” In this way, they will see that you not only approve of the break, but also that you support it.

Host events to raise holiday awareness.

Another great way to build a work-life balance and time off into your corporate culture is by hosting events that educate employees about paid time off opportunities. The discussion of politics as a group takes it from the pages of the employee handbook and makes it a reality.

Also, include various other discussions and activities during holiday awareness events. For example, employees can meet with their managers to discuss a schedule when an individual is out of the office. A financial advisor can also come and talk about effective savings for the holiday.

Do not allow work to pile up.

The survey found that 56 percent of employees cite a lack of workload coverage as a reason why they are hesitant to take time off. They are afraid that after a rest trip they will return to a bunch of responsibilities that will immediately stress them out.

Plan ahead. Use the weeks before one team member goes on vacation to train another qualified employee. This employee can overshadow his co-worker to learn new responsibilities. When this employee completes this task during the week, he will gain valuable practical experience while ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

Set aside time to catch up.

After a long vacation, it’s not easy to jump back to work. Employees need to acclimatize to return to normal. Offering half a day when an individual returns gives them a chance to slowly get back into the swing of things.

It is also important for managers to sit down with returning employees and catch them what happened in their absence. This is especially important in rapidly developing organizations. If you are proactive and discuss the highs and lows of an employee’s working time, you will ensure that they return to work with all the information they need.

Nepodporujte mučeníctvo.

Zatiaľ čo niektorí ľudia vynechávajú dovolenky, aby sa im zdali nenahraditeľné, iní to robia preto, aby ukázali, koľko by obetovali pre svoju spoločnosť. Oddanosť je dôležitá, ale keď sa zmení na mučeníctvo, vedie k vyhoreniu zamestnancov.

Napríklad prieskum Project: Time Off zistil, že zo zamestnancov, ktorí si berú viac ako 75 percent svojho plateného voľna, je 59 percent spokojní s ich organizáciou. A 57 percent je so svojou prácou spokojných. Na porovnanie, z tých, ktorí berú menej ako 25 percent PTO, len 46 percent je spokojných so svojou spoločnosťou a/alebo prácou.

Watch out for signs of employee burnout. If an employee voluntarily claims additional and additional responsibilities, sit down and talk to them. Let them know that you’d rather have a happy employee than an overworked and stressed out.

Make recognition a priority.

When employees feel valued, they feel less pressure to prove themselves excessively. They can be sure of their place in the organization, removing unnecessary pressure from sacrificing time on vacation.

Find small ways to recognize employees on a daily basis. I thank them for their hard work. Ask for their opinions and ideas. Personally congratulate them on their success. This will show them that you notice and value everything they do.