Survey results state that Americans are given less vacation time by their employers than any of the other countries surveyed.
Even so, a significant number of employees in the U.S. don’t take all of their vacation time. Thirty-one percent of all employed U.S. adults expect not to use all of their allotted vacation days. Some employees may not even understand why vacation is important to their wellbeing.
Many research studies over the past 20 or more years have stated that both employers and employees benefit from staff scheduling and taking vacation time to relax and recharge. Employees often come back from vacation with renewed energy and enthusiasm for their work.
Vacations also promote creativity, help workers avoid burnout, keep employees healthy by reducing stress levels, and increase their quality of life—this, in turn, leads to an increase in the quality of their work.
Companies can encourage their workers to use all their vacation time by:
- Requiring that a minimum number of vacation days be taken.
- Reassuring workers that asking for vacation time will not be held against them.
- Having similar vacation policies for top management.
- Making sure workloads are not excessive.
- Helping them by assigning others to cover their duties while they are on vacation.
Now—go ahead and enjoy your vacations. You’ll be glad you did.