Last Updated on March 26, 2024
It’s easy to think that it’s up to your employees to take time off when they need it. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple. Many employees fear taking time off.
They worry about how they will look to supervisors if they take time off, and they worry about how they’re going to get their work done if they take a step back.
As a business owner or boss, you can do a lot to help encourage your employees to take time off. When you do, you’ll enjoy some serious benefits that include:
- Preventing injuries due to tiredness and burnout
- Increased productivity
- Better company culture
- Better employee attitudes
- Increased health and lower insurance costs
- Less time off that is rolled over
- Increased company loyalty
Prevent Injuries
Some workplaces are more dangerous than others, but accidents can happen anywhere. From construction zones to offices, all employees are more likely to slip, fall, or experience accidents when they’re tired and burnt out.
The last thing you want to do is seek the help of an attorney to learn more about personal injury law because your workers are tired and injuring themselves at work. Avoid having to deal with a personal injury attorney and encourage your employees to take time off. They can sleep in, rest, and engage in activities that will help them remain awake and alert when they return to work.
Increased Productivity
There are many ways to increase productivity, but asking employees to put more time in at work isn’t one of them. Instead, you should encourage your employees to take time off.
We all need time to rest, and when we get it, we are more likely to have more energy. The more energy we have, the more work we are likely to get done.
Taking time off can also make your employees more creative. The more time they spend away from the workplace, the more new and unique inspiration they can come in contact with, and they can bring those ideas with them back to the workplace.
Improved Company Culture
Company culture is an important aspect of business in the 21st Century. A supportive culture can encourage employees to take risks, build a better relationship with others in the workplace, and they’re more likely to work hard to ensure the company they work for is successful.
There are many ways to improve company culture. Attitudes and the way you treat your employees matters, which means recognizing that they need time off. If you notice an employee seems more tired than usual, or if you have heard an employee complaining about being burnt out, let them know that you support them if they want to take time off. Not only will you take a weight off of your employee’s shoulders, but you also show everyone else in the office that you care about their mental health.
Better Attitudes
It’s easy to feel like your whole life is work. That’s especially the case if you have employees who regularly work overtime. However, having a life outside of work is extremely important. It’s the only way to avoid work burnout, it can provide a greater sense of purpose, and it can greatly affect your attitude when it’s time to clock in.
It’s important to encourage your employees to have a life outside of work, so when they do come into the workplace, they’re ready and willing to get to work. Make sure employees know that they can take off a little early one day to pick up the kids from daycare, they can take an entire week off to go on vacation, and they can call in a mental health day and spend it at the lake.
Better Health
Did you know overworking yourself can have a huge impact on your health? Long hours can contribute to stress, which in turn can contribute to:
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Mental health issues
- Diabetes
- Abnormal heart rhythms
If you want your employees to be healthy enough to come into work every day, it’s important that you encourage them to take time off. That means telling them to go home early, encouraging them to take a mental health day, and supporting them in planning and taking that dream vacation.
Caring for your employees’ health in this way has another benefit—it can lower healthcare costs, and it can actually reduce time off, as employees spend less time off on vacation than they do dealing with medical issues. For the most resistant employees, offering an LSA, or a Benepass lifestyle spending account, is a benefit that encourages them to invest in their self-care.
Avoid Time off That Is Rolled Over
It is nice to roll over vacation days that aren’t used by your employees so they can use them at a later time, but that has the potential to cause more trouble than it’s worth. When they finally decide to take time off, you could find your business in the red. It’s much better to promote balance when it comes to taking days off.
Taking time off regularly is much better for your business and your employees’ mental health than never taking any time off, then taking an entire month. Encourage them to take the time off when they have it.
Increased Company Loyalty
Customer loyalty is important, but so is employee loyalty. When employees feel like they can take time off when they need it without worrying about their reputation or whether they will be looked over for the next promotion, they will have more positive feelings towards the company.
They will stick around longer, which means lower employee turnover. That can save the company a lot of money on the hiring process.
It also motivates employees to work harder. While they are in the office, they are more likely to give projects their all because they are invested in the success of the business they work for.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that getting more out of your employees means asking them to work more. Instead, ask them to work less! When you encourage your employees to take time off, you’ll be surprised at the positive impact it will have on your business.
