Annual leave is vital to promote good physical and mental health in the workplace and achieve work-life balance.
Not Making The Most Of Annual Leave
There are many people who neglect going on annual leave and even when they finally take the time off, they still can’t resist checking emails and continue doing some work. But why is it happening? There’s no simple answer to this question and there could be several reasons why people find it difficult to take a break from work. Heavy workload and tight deadlines make people think that they are ‘too busy’ with work commitments to go on annual leave. They may worry that their work won’t be covered while they are away, so all the projects and tasks left behind won’t be completed on time and there will be even more work to do once they are back. Others may just feel guilty about giving extra work to their colleagues. Threatened job security can also cause some employees to think they need to show extra commitment by skipping on taking annual leave. Other people may actually use work as a distraction from other issues such as problems in their personal life.
A Timetastic survey, which polled 1,500 Britons in February 2024, found that over 60% of UK workers didn’t take all of their holiday allowance in 2023. 16% of respondents couldn't specify the reason for it, while 15.14% revealed that it's because they got paid for any unused time off (15.14%). Another 10% said they didn't want to use their annual leave allowances. At the same time, around 1 in 10 workers didn’t take their full annual leave because they felt pressure from their management (9.48%).
Signs That You Need A Break
Sometimes you may not even realise that you need a break from work, but there are some signs that can tell you that you are not getting enough rest:
Feeling overwhelmed
Difficulty concentrating
Mood swings
Getting sick more frequently
Lack of energy
Low mood
Frustration
Feeling unfocused or fuzzy-headed
Lack of motivation
Poor performance
Sleep disturbances
Withdrawing from friends and family
The Value Of Having TIME OFF
No matter how busy you are or how much you enjoy your job, you need to take a break and let your mind and body to relax. There are several different options for doing so – you can go on holidays abroad, choose a staycation, treat yourself to a SPA day or just spend a day at home or in the garden. Ensuring that we have sufficient rest from work is considered to be one of the key pillars of maintaining our health and wellbeing. Everyone needs time to rest, relax and recharge. A good work-life balance means you have harmony between all the different aspects of your life. You shouldn’t underestimate the value of taking annual leave - giving your body a rest can help you to restore yourself both physically and mentally to a healthier place. Rest is also perhaps one of the most essential ingredients for continued workplace success that can help you to achieve better results.
Combating Burnout
Not taking proper rest breaks from work can lead to a burnout - a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Suffering from burnout can prompt a multitude of other issues in the workplace such as reduced productivity along with lack of motivation and job satisfaction. Spending time away from work is very important for your mental health. It allows you to switch off mentally and devote your energy elsewhere meaning that you can return to work with a refreshed positive mindset and be more resilient to work challenges.
In 2022/23 there were an estimated 875,000 workers affected by work-related stress, depression or anxiety.
Enhancing Productivity
Pushing yourself to work longer hours and skipping rest days actually reduces your performance in both short and long term. Rest is essential for boosting motivation, processing new information and maintaining your ability to concentrate. Coming back to work with fresh eyes and clear mind will help you be more productive and achieve better results.
Unlocking Your Creativity
Giving your mind regular breaks promotes creativity, while failing to take rest days can erode innovative thinking. If you are skipping your annual leave to continue to push forward in a very intense cognitive capacity, you are not letting your brain to recuperate. Moreover, when you are discovering new places on your holidays, you are exposed to novel and diversifying experiences that can in fact inspire you. On top of that, positive emotions will help you to be more inventive and think outside the box.
Finding Better Solutions
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with a problem, but the moment you take a step back you are able to see the problem with new eyes and identify a solution? That is what can happen when you take a rest. A change of environment and a proper break from the norm where you really switch off means when you return to work you are able to look at things from a different perspective. Ideas may spark more easily and solutions to challenges may become more apparent.
Keeping Healthy
Whether you are working in the lab or in the office, you need proper breaks to give your body a chance to recover for spending long periods in fixed positions. Overworking can cause long-term physical problems including repetitive strain injury (RSI) or back pain. Working too long or too hard can result in extremely high levels of stress, which in turn can lead to all manner of health problems, such as high blood pressure, migraines, and depression. Moreover, letting work dominate your life also means that you are probably not getting very much exercise as you may feel too tired for any physical activities. Sedentary lifestyles, as much as stress, can cause various health issues. Therefore, it’s crucial that you find some time to stay active to keep your body and mind healthy.
Preventing Injuries And Accidents
Lack of proper rest over a long period of time can cause fatigue. This can result in decreased awareness, slower reactions, lack of attention, memory lapses, absent-mindedness, underestimation of risk, as well as reduced coordination. When you are exhausted, you are more likely to make mistakes which can lead to workplace injuries and accidents. That’s why it’s vital that you have a good rest so you can stay focused and alert to reduce likelihood of fatigue-induced errors.
Improving Your Social Life
Working long hours and not allowing yourself to rest can put a strain on your relationships with partners, children and friends. Taking regular breaks throughout the year provides the perfect opportunity to strengthen relationships with your loved ones by spending more quality time and doing things together. You could have a chance to develop a much closer understanding of each other, share the same experiences and create good memories. The importance of positive social relationships for emotional wellbeing cannot be underestimated.
Increasing Your Self Awareness And Happiness
When you are overwhelmed with work, you may often not take time to pause, pay attention to what is going on and appreciate all the things around you. Having a break from work gives you a chance to engage with the moment, reflect and learn more about your thoughts, feelings and goals. It can make you a happier person by giving you an opportunity to escape from a daily routine, do different things, explore new places and focus on what is important to you.
Make Sure You Take Valuable Time Away From Work
Are you finding it difficult to have a break? Here are some tips that can help you make sure you use your annual leave:
Commit yourself to a break by booking a holiday in advance whether that be a staycation or heading to another country. By simply knowing a holiday is booked, you may feel less stressed and more content
Make a list of things that you would like to do or achieve when you are off
Plan holidays with friends and family so you can’t let them down by backing out
Give your colleagues a detailed handover before you leave to have a peace of mind that your work will be covered and you won’t return to chaos
When you do get away leave the laptop at home, turn off the work phone and just simply relax!
How to fully switch off during annual leave and how colleagues can help article from Mental Health UK has further tips on what you and your colleagues can do to make time off relaxing and stress-free.
Worried That You May Be A Workaholic?
Are you extremely involved in your work and find it difficult to detach yourself from your work
psychologically and emotionally? Do ignore your personal needs, physical and mental health, social life and relationships for work? Do you have difficulty relaxing and stopping thinking about work even when you are on holidays? Is work the activity you like to do best and talk about most? If your answer to those questions is ‘yes’, then you might be a workaholic. Work addiction is a serious problem that can have a negative impact on both physical and mental health, hence it’s important to take the first step towards managing workaholism and seek help. You can find useful resources on workaholism and get support from Workaholics Anonymous UK.
How Employers Can Encourage Staff To Take Annual Leave?
Encouraging staff to take time off requires supportive and proactive approach that highlights the benefits of annual leave and provides the necessary resources and support to make it happen.
Make it easy: Make your holiday booking process quick and straightforward for your employees. They should know how much they are entitled to and how much they’ve used in a year. You may want to use an HR software for it, which also includes a mobile app allowing staff to see their entitlement and request or cancel annual leave at the time that is convenient to them. Also, you should ensure that your holiday policy is clear and easy to find.
Remind staff to use their annual leave allowance: Use company newsletters, intranet, noticeboards, individual emails and one-to-one meetings to remind your employees to use their annual leave. This may encourage them to book time off throughout the year and create a culture where conversations around holidays are open and positive.
Get staff to share their recommendations: Encourage your staff to share some of their travel tips and favourite places for a family day out, city break or holidays abroad. This can also contribute to a culture where taking time off is seen more positively.
Understand the reasons for not taking annual leave and offer support: Some employees may feel that they are unable to take their annual leave and it’s important for an organisation to understand the reasons behind it. Perhaps the workload is really high and there are too many unfinished jobs that require attention? Provide support and resources to employees to help them plan their leave and manage their workload before and after they take time off. This could include helping with a handover, training for colleagues who are covering their work, or providing tips for managing workload.
Help staff save money while on holidays: By offering discounts on various attractions, restaurants or holidays, you can help encourage staff to make the most of their time off. Perhaps you already have a rewards scheme in place? If yes, remind staff how they can access it and reap the benefits of deals and discounts.
Set the right example: You should lead by example and take your own annual leave too. This shows your employees that taking time off is not only allowed, but also encouraged.
A break from work can allow employees to switch off, de-stress, regain focus and re-energise. Employees, who make the most out of their annual leave, can often perform more efficiently and have higher motivation compared to those who do not. Therefore, reinforcing the importance of annual leave is crucial if organisations want to create a sustainable, positive culture of engagement and productivity.
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