It's the dogs...

Are you taking time off work?  Can you remember the last time you had a full week off?

Going away for the twice-annual ‘Basil Holiday’ (more on this later) led me to think about annual leave entitlement, and ensuring my team are taking proper time off.

A survey by the staff-leave planning organisation, Timetastic, found that almost half of employees didn’t have a full week off work - and most still had five days of unused leave.

TAKE TIME TO SWITCH OFF

The survey found that this is a global issue, with the UK, Europe and the United States being the most affected.  In the UK, only 43% of employees are taking a full week off work; and this number drops to only 33% in the United States.  

Here at AJB HR Consultancy Services, I regularly chase my team about booking their leave. If they have kids, then I ask them if they are having school holidays off too.  This isn’t just to mitigate the effects of any incoming work, but also to ensure that they are taking a proper rest.

Personally, I take time off regularly to fully switch off (and, of course, I’m grateful to have a great team to support me in this).  As a business owner, I make sure that I can plan ahead and take time off on a regular basis - whether it’s a week or even longer.

As an employer, you should be pushing your staff to take their entitlement.

LOOK OUT FOR RED FLAGS

‍

Oliver Higenbottam, Timetastic managing director, said “short breaks help, but it’s full-week holidays that provide the deep recovery needed for mental wellbeing and creativity.”

An unwillingness or inability to take leave could be reflective of a poor workplace culture, and this can have a long term effect. For example, your team becomes inefficient and less productive; or public perception of the organisation becomes negative.

In addition, Timetastic warned that a reluctance to take time off raises a number of red flags in terms of burnout and stress-related absences.

BURNOUT IS REAL

In an article on ‘Personnel Today’, GP and medical director at ‘Selph’, Dr. Claire Merrifield, highlighted the physiological and psychological consequences of not taking holidays.  These include increased risk of heart attacks, weight gain and sluggishness, stress and burnout, cognitive function and problem-solving ability, and elevated blood pressure.  Chronic stress, in particular, was one of the most damaging outcomes of not taking annual leave.

Dr. Merrifield said that relaxation “reduces blood pressure, improves metabolic health by increasing insulin sensitivity, reduces appetite and fat storage and can help boost energy” and that, without breaks,we risk becoming “less productive, less creative, less efficient.”  Ultimately, this all leads to burnout, or even worse.

I would say that all of this applies not only to employees but also those at the top – employers, senior leaders, and business owners.  

THE BASIL HOLIDAY

Twice a year, my wife and I take a ‘Basil Holiday’.

Basil is our dog and we take him away for a week, usually to a cottage either down south in Cornwall or up north in Yorkshire (also known as God’s Own Country).

This time, we went up to Yorkshire in early April.  We had the most brilliant week in Snape, North Yorkshire, staying in a converted barn with the North Yorkshire moors on the doorstep.

Although it was a ‘working holiday’ in that we took our laptops and did some work, most of the time we went for walks or simply relaxed.  

Each day, Basil had his morning walk – where he was in his element chasing leaves (does anyone else's dog do this?) – and then my wife and I worked for the rest of the morning before taking the afternoon off.

DRAGGED TO THE PUB (honest!)

There was a fabulous pub opposite the barn which we went to on most days and, from the first night, the staff took to Basil and gave him ham, treats and even roast beef when we went for Sunday lunch. This has led to him actually dragging us to the pub.

Looking back, this was a brilliant sales tactic (although, of course, we’re not complaining at all).

We also saw my mum that week who had come up to see us for a couple of days (from the other side of God's Own Country).

FLEXIBILITY IS KEY

‍

Running a business isn't easy. But weeks like that one can make it all worth it. I'm really grateful that I started a business six years ago and I've managed to create flexibility around it – meaning I can take a proper break regularly.

It's always great to be able to work from anywhere - even better that I can do it from Yorkshire (as it's just better than anywhere else). We also struck it lucky with the weather, as it had been glorious.

I also want to say big thanks to the team who, as always, dealt with clients brilliantly, which meant that I could simply enjoy my week away (albeit as a working holiday). Thank you to Louise for picking up my emails; and to Jessica and Hayley for dealing with clients.

NEED HR SUPPORT?

If you need to look at your staff policies, team efficiencies, or workplace culture as a whole, please get in touch to arrange an informal chat about me and my team can help and support your business.

‍