Take a break for your own sake

A good employee is a working employee. Less and less frequently we might come across such statement. There is a reason why this saying has gone to rest. Nowadays not only the fact of working is important. More often than not, the quality of work is what employers are looking for. Close to quality is also employee productivity. But how to assure a steady work performance of our staff? One of the key components is good quality holidays.

Often employers underestimate the value of true holidays and benefits it can bring to, not only the employee taking time off but also his business. In the everyday rush, we might think that we don’t have time to stop, take a breath and relax. On the contrary, this is what we should do. However, it proves to be difficult, especially if you are a business owner.

“Money lost”

Many entrepreneurs think that taking a time off work would harm their business. If taking few days off would cause the whole company going under, it will definitely reduce the turnover and profit. There is no denying that if you are a small business owner taking a break might require you to shut down the firm. However, a well-planned break should have a very negative effect on your business. On the contrary, not taking a well-deserved rest could.

The Framingham Heart Study shows that men who regularly skip holidays are 30% more likely to have a heart attack than men who take a break every now and then. There are also other health benefits for taking holidays. A report produced by Kuoni and Nuffield shows that taking time off helped improving ability to recover from stress by 29%. It also improved by 34% a sleep quality and reduced blood pressure by 6%. Of course, studies were carried out on people taking a good quality holiday, not taking time off to help a relative move house or do home improvements in the family bathroom.

The benefits of holidays

There are five major areas where holiday can bring visible benefits to employees and employers alike. The first one and most important one is our health. According to the New York Times, a risk of death from coronary heart disease increases by 21% in people that don’t take annual vacations. Taking well-deserved rest contributes to better health and wellbeing. What does it mean for employers? Less sick days and better productivity of the staff.

Another, very important factor that should make us consider taking regular holidays is the proven reduction of stress caused by work. Decreasing work related stress is also linked with reducing the risk of employees’ burnout.

Other benefits of vacation include improving concentration and increasing job satisfaction. Well-rested staff will be ready for new challenges at work. When our employee comes back to the office after nice holidays with the fresh mind we can be certain that his work will be more productive and solutions to problems will be found easier.

Taking some time off work will also help us to bond with our family. Not only are we busy with our work life. Our kids have their school and other activities so arranging some quality family time for some might be a challenge.

Have a great holiday!

A Christmas season is upon us. Many will take the advantage of well-deserved time off. Whatever you decide to do while off work, please remember that maintaining good work – life balance is essential to our existence. It is also our right to relax after months of hard work, so don’t feel guilty taking few days of vacation.