3 reasons you should encourage absence on annual leave

You might have spent a couple of weeks soaking up the sun on a beach somewhere, or perhaps you enjoyed a staycation in the UK? Whatever your choice, the chances are that your summer holiday already feels like a distant memory.

Heading back into the office, you might have been greeted by the familiar chorus of questions like ‘were you able to switch off from work?’, ‘Did you check your emails?’. You might offer a guilty shrug as an admission that you too joined the bandwagon of people who struggled to make that important decision to switch off work mode in favour of holiday mode this summer.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about the woes of presenteeism (coming to work when ill) in the workplace. This same principle applies to the damaging practice of staying connected to the office while on holiday by checking emails, requesting updates and the like.

Indeed, a recent survey carried out by Flash Pack suggested that three quarters of Londoners still check their work emails on holiday. Even more shockingly, the same research stated that 60% of UK workers found their holiday handover process so stressful that they’d think twice on when and where they would holiday in the future.

To me, this level of stress around holidaying is toxic for any workplace. Taking annual leave is vital for enabling employees to take a step back and achieve that work-life balance to which we are all entitled. This is why I’m asking employers to encourage real absence from employees who are on annual leave.

Harvard Business Review summarised the issue perfectly when they said that each email sent by an employee on leave is a ‘tiny erosion of company culture’.

So, having set the scope of the issue, here’s why it’s important for employers to encourage complete absence from work when on annual leave:

1.      Stress Management. Earlier this year, our Managing Mental Health report (https://www.investorsinpeople.com/managing-mental-health-in-the-workplace/) showed that 80% of UK employees experience stress at work, with 54% taking this workplace stress home with them. This clearly evidences how vital it is that employees are able to use annual leave as it was intended; to provide an opportunity to escape the hamster wheel of work and take time for much needed headspace.

2.      Employee Engagement. Statistics published by Forbes have proven the link between taking a break and employee engagement. They argue that 81% of employees who take a daily lunch break have a correspondingly high desire to be active contributors in their company. If we apply this logic to annual leave, employees who are empowered to switch off whilst officially ‘off’ will return to work feeling rejuvenated and engaged in company purpose.

3.      Productivity. Much like employee engagement, breaks are also proven to boost productivity. Figures from the Manchester Business School reveal that 36% of workers believe that taking regular breaks boosts their productivity. Once again, applying this logic to annual leave means that a true break from work is likely to restore employee energy and renew interest in work.

Now you might be wondering, how can I dispel the myths around annual leave and encourage employees to practice real absence?

1.      Some employees don’t take the leave they’re entitle too because they’re fearful of mounting workloads, perception of work dedication and other insecurities. The best way you can dispel these thoughts is by practicing what you preach, taking your annual leave allowance and suggesting that your team does the same.

2.      Ensure that employees understand your internal policies around annual leave. Send out a short infographic on how many days your company allows, when this renews etc.

Encouraging employees to make the most of their annual leave, and to practice absence when on it, are vital strands of an effective employee wellbeing strategy. For more information on how to appropriately care for the social, physical and mental wellbeing of your people, consult our Health & Wellbeing Award: https://bit.ly/2NyO1eC .