Establishing a Workplace Vacation Policy

In an age of unlimited connectivity and 24-hour accessibility, time away from the office is a necessary temporary disconnect from the work world. It provides employees a chance to unwind and recharge.  Despite its importance, a surprising 25% of U.S. companies do not offer time off and 23% of Americans have no paid vacations or holidays.

If you’re asking yourself, what implementing a vacation policy will do for your company, consider the following:

Boost Productivity

77% of human resource managers and hiring professionals believe it is important for employees to take vacation. This “disconnect” contributes to increased levels of job satisfaction, productivity, employee morale and creativity.

Competitive Advantage

Workplace vacation policies such as unpaid vacation or unlimited time off are significant points of attraction for candidates when deciding between job offers, when attracting new talent and retaining top producers.

Employee Well-Being

Paid time off shouldn’t just be considered a formality as part of the employee benefits package, but should be viewed as vehicle to promote a healthier work atmosphere.

As you evaluate your vacation and time off policy, consider the strategy behind this benefit.

• Is your current vacation policy in place to create rewards for employee’s hard work?
• Does it help minimize costs or increase competitive advantage in the market place?
• How will a vacation policy prove to be beneficial for the business?

Once you’ve taken time to consider the strategy behind implementing or enhancing your business vacation policy, it’s important to use other companies as a benchmark in order to identify the best fit for your employees and workplace.