As Limeades CEO Henry Albrecht stated in my survey, Share the rules, show care, model the behaviors, and trust people to do the right thing.. } Take a moment to think about what makes your employees happyit could be anything from playing with their dog or cat, reading a book, watching their favorite movie, or listening to music. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concernsI look forward to hearing from you soon!. Now that there is a boundary, people want to take time off, she explained. Dear (mention the name of the recipient). This was the concern one of my clients recently. This combination pushed the company to send an e-mail to its 600 employees last month asking each of them to take five days of vacation before the end of August, said For instance, you can declare a day off for the entire organization: One of my clients, analytics company, Sisense, has scheduled a monthly company-sponsored, company-wide self-care day, where nobody works. Vacation Request Letter: 4 Templates and Emails, Vacation Request Email to Boss Sample: 4 Examples, Holiday Request Letter to Manager: 4 Templates, Leave Extension Letter Example: 4 Templates, Holiday Request Letter example: 4 Templates, Leave Application Confirmation Letter: 4 Templates, Leave of Absence Letter Template: 4 Emails, Commercial Credit Analyst Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates, Commercial PropertyManager Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates, Commercial Real Estate Broker Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates, Commis Chef Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates, Clinical Application Specialist Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates. When Crystal Brown-Tatum, a human resources manager at Dallas Summer Musicals, noticed that her staff members were accruing more paid time off (PTO) during the pandemic than they would be able to roll over in 2021, she sent out a list of road trips for employees to consider taking. Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? "Then you know what they have planned, and you can encourage them to follow up on it and take the time off.". $("span.current-site").html("SHRM MENA "); (See the bottom section for more information about this process.). 3. Yet, few employees feel comfortable taking the time off they need, especially as travel plans and other vacations are cancelled. Many companies are encouraging employees to take off half days, a day in the middle of the week, or a Monday or Friday to extend the weekend. We really want our employees to take their leave its yours to take and we hope you enjoy it. Her complaint wasnt about working in quarantine per se, but about her frantic pace and static productivity. Set the example for your employees Discuss the days you will be taking off and encourage your team to do the same. Managers are also encouraged to be vocal about taking shorter amounts of time off. Here's how you can encourage your employees to take their vacation time this year, even if it's only a staycation: Set an example. The way leaders take a vacation is a signal for employees on vacation expectations. Leaders can show employees they value this by taking time off themselves. Dear Dean, Welcome back! Ensure youre clear about your organizations current time-off policy and communicate it to your team. But companies should encourage their employees to take and enjoy time off in order to promote employee wellness, happiness, and productivity in the workplace. Use imagery around the office. How does employee seniority impact PTO benefits? Subject: Request for one week vacation leave. We are keen to hear your thoughts on the best way to motivate everyone in the workplace to get involved with our drive to be more energy efficient. Posted on August 4, 2021 With nowhere to go and much to adjust to, most people have cancelled not only their travel reservations but their time off as well. Adjust Job Requirements to Allow for Stress-Free PTO. someone who can approve or decline leave requests) logs into Timetastic, they can see the remaining leave allowances for everyone on the team. For further queries, you can reach our management department at [mention phone number] or directly through an email [mention email address]. Taking time off is something many people will avoid when job security is at the forefront of someones mind. Ask team members where they can share responsibilities and cover for each other so they can rotate times off without stopping work. Otherwise, youre heading for burnout and thats bad for everyone. The current crisis is creating more urgency and more work. But ideally, no one will ever be on your Burnout Board. How to Encourage Your Team to Use Employee Vacation Time 1. The benefits of taking time off are numerous: it helps your employees be more productive at work, it helps them be happier with their job, it can make them more creative by giving their minds a chance to wander freely with no deadlines or restrictions, and it gives them a chance to recharge their batteries so that when work starts up again after the break theyre ready for anything. temp_style.textContent = '.ms-rtestate-field > p:first-child.is-empty.d-none, .ms-rtestate-field > .fltter .is-empty.d-none, .ZWSC-cleaned.is-empty.d-none {display:block !important;}'; Encouraging to take time off is one of the most important things that you can do for your employees. When working from home, encourage your employees to consider vacations as tools for focused family time, caregiving, and self-care. This is an easy way to help your employees unplug, refocus, and enjoy themselves. ". Noticing that managers are deluding themselves about their own and team members productivity, I surveyed clients and heard back from 20 of them in companies ranging from startups to Fortune 30 and universities located across the U.S. Project: Time Off's study found that employees who take all of their vacation time increase their chances of getting promoted and getting a raise by 6.5 percent, compared with people who. With the initial adrenaline rush of the crisis passed, vast numbers of my clients are reporting that they and their teams feel flayedand exhausted to the point of being useless, work demands are on the rise, and the time saved commuting has been converted to meetings that creep earlier into the day and fill the space between dinner and (a too-late) bedtime. Smith speculated that employees didn't see the point in taking time off when they were working from home just to stay at home. A vacation leave letter is a written request from employees to their company asking for approval for time off. Even though staff taking holiday can be disruptive in the short term, encouraging staff to book annual leave actually holds many benefits to employers in the long run: Cut stress & burnout, and improve productivity. But please keep in mind that this leave must be used within the next calendar year or the carry over balance will expire. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(131307, '070b3b46-9e86-40d1-85c0-17bd895480dc', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Crafting and following a comprehensive onboarding checklist ensures a consistent, As the cost of living continues to rise around the country, many employeesespecially HR professionals play an indispensable role within an organization. In many companies, employees may even need to find coverage while they're out so their workload isn't interrupted. part-a (to be filled up by. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM China "); If you miss the odd day, the world won't implode, but if people don't know you're away for a few weeks and they don't know exactly when you'll be back, or who they can contact in your place, you're going to have some unhappy clients or customers. Asking employees to take a mandatory leave of absence can give both the employer and employee time to evaluate. Ask employees to create a vacation plan and mark the due date for filing leaves on their calendars. The company thinks that you truly deserve this vacation, and we hope you will consider our effort to appreciate your hard work and will take this opportunity. Working from home doesnt mean working all the time. It does not offer legal advice, and cannot guarantee the accuracy or suitability of its content for a particular purpose. Taking time off might seem like an unnecessary luxury given that we all have deadlines looming over our heads all day long; however, these breaks allow both employers and employees to get away from our desks so they can relax and come back refreshed when they return. This strategy will give everyone equal opportunities when it comes to making decisions about how they spend their free time outside of work hours. Harvards Leslie Perlow showed how consultants at Boston Consulting Group made significant progress in job satisfaction, work-life balance, and collaboration and effectiveness by taking predictable time off from their cell phones while ensuring that their work is covered by a fellow team member during that time. 1) all the projects you recently finished or are currently working on. Leave request email template. We have noticed that you have been working tirelessly for a long time without taking any type of leaves. Several of my clients executives and managers, along with their human resource partners are increasingly seeking guidance on how to unplug and recharge and encourage their employees to do the same. We showcase this by offering our employees unlimited PTO. A. shows that employees who take a lunch break are more likely to be satisfied with their job, and say they are as effective and efficient as they would like to be. These employee thank you letters are a perfect way to show the company's gratitude to some employees or even peers for their hard work and effort, as well as their accomplishment to a project. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM China "); But, according to Balsamiq founder Giacomo Guilizzoni, "It instills an opposite kind of guilt: If I don't take my 20 days I will set a bad example for my team." Make unlimited vacation time work You can do this by offering the following: When you work for a company, you probably know that taking time off is good for your health and well-being. Redefine vacations to mean more than just recreation and travel to include family time, caregiving, and self-care. Your communication needs to include your companys stance on travel, any restrictions back at work if someone does leave town for example, a lab worker who must be on site after vacation and risks to public and personal safety. Encourage staff to switch off during annual leave. In this section, we show how Timetastic, our staff leave app, helps your team take their holidays throughout the year. Thats what we will discuss next. Disclaimer, Elon Musk's Illusion of Control Undermining Teslas Future, SHRM Partners with William G. McGowan Charitable Fund with Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. and Diana Spencer, The Moment is Now for Emotional Intelligence - #SHRM22, How HR Analytics Can Leverage Performance Appraisal System. Pay attention to your email's header and the design of its body . if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-china.aspx") > -1) { You have always been a very loyal, hard-working, and passionate employee of our team (mention the details), and you have worked for a long time without taking any type of leaves. That is why I would encourage employees to take days off by recommending they spend time with their families. Use this communication template to remind employees to check their PTO status before the year endsand their time off potentially expires. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Perhaps a team competition with a free lunch to the winning team . What you say is less important than what you do. Each and every employee of an organization work hard day and night every single day to produce the exact results that the corporation wants and make sure that the reputation of the organization always remains clean and only achievements are what that the organization gets. Finally, employers can simply remind employees to take their time off before the end of the year. temp_style.textContent = '.ms-rtestate-field > p:first-child.is-empty.d-none, .ms-rtestate-field > .fltter .is-empty.d-none, .ZWSC-cleaned.is-empty.d-none {display:block !important;}'; Published Tuesday, Jul 7, 2020 Contact Us Human Resources Address: 120 Whittier Hall Box: 149 * Phone: 212-678-3175 * Email: hr@tc.columbia.edu Disability-related Accommodations To request disability-related accommodations contact OASID at oasid@tc.edu, (212) 678-3689, (646) 755-3144 video phone, as early as possible. June 05, 2020. Knowing who on your team is at risk of burnout or who has a lot of leave left to use is a huge win. It is essential for your employees to take time off from work for their sake, as much as yours. [Include Template 4] Thanks, Your HR Team TEMPLATE 4: Managers Team Involvement (Every 6 months) Hello Team! 4. It has taken jobs, businesses and human lives. For instance, you can give your employees the tools to help them unplug from work. HR and managers may find that employees have questions about their time-off benefits throughout the year, including if they can use PTO during their two weeks notice and if employers have the right to turn down time-off requests. We live in Virginia and many drives that are beautiful. Keep your communication and expectations open and transparent. You, your team, and your directors. Drew Gieseke is an aPHR-certified marketing professional who writes about HR, compliance, and healthcare solutions. $(document).ready(function () { The best way for employers to encourage employees to use their time off wisely is by creating these days themselvesnot just for their own benefit but also for those who enjoy working at home or remotely from home offices. But encouraging your employees to use their time off is a win for you and for them. Sometimes we all need to take some time off and do something completely unproductive. Encourage your staff to take the full amount of time allotted to enjoy themselves and come back refreshed for work. var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); This program has been very successful in encouraging actual vacation time, which helps our people come back well-rested and ready to continue on our mission. It outlines the employee's intended days off and their plan for coverage at work. var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); Employees need to feel that their organization understands work-life balance and that they are encouraged to take. Here are 12 ways you can proactively encourage employees to take time off work: Contents hide 1 Encourage Employees to Take a Digital Detox 2 Remind Employees about the Benefits of Taking Time Off 3 Do What You Preach 4 Make it a Habit to Unplug from Work Often 5 Create Company Holidays 6 Show Employees that Work-life Balance is Important By starting from a place of care and concern for your workforce you reinforce the maxim that people are your strongest asset and that youre there for them in good times and bad, regardless of their individual circumstances. They can use that time as a mini-weekend getaway with their friends or family. On A Mission to Help Small Businesses to Be a Brand. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. Something went wrong. That also means that they're responsible for getting that work done and coordinating with other team members to make that happen. For example, include information about the notice required in advance of a holiday and how much notice is required to refuse a holiday request. These include [dates]. People will be scared and caring about their health and source of income. var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); Start your free one-month trial today. Encourage managers to set an example by utilizing their vacation time. Here are five ways to encourage your employees to take a holiday leave: 1. Ensure there is appropriate cover. Have a Clear Employee Vacation Policy First, make sure your employee vacation policy is clearly outlined. If it has been awhile since you took a vacation, start planning your time off. This helps reduce the risk of burnout, and it helps reduce any stress your team may feel as the year comes to a close and everyone on your staff is trying not to lose their holiday time. Not to mention that according to SHRM, when employees take PTO, theyre often more productive and exhibit lower stress and better mental health. Your team can also easily book a holiday through their Wallchart: They simply select the dates they want off, list the reason (i.e. Moreover, vacations can also help employees stay healthy by encouraging them to exercise and eat better habits. "They were very relieved [by the change in policy], and we are trying to reward them as much as possible for their work.". Next year, youll have [CARRY OVER AMOUNT + NEW YEAR AMOUNT] in holiday leave. The PTO issue finally began to resolve itself in mid-June when employees started returning to the office, said Jill Smith, the agency's operations manager. Some businesses may close down for a week or two at a certain time of the year, and that period is everyone's . Employees who take time off come to work with a positive mindset and charged to take on challenges. This power move does two things: One, it communicates that taking a vacation is okay and two, it reinforces that your company prioritizes employee wellness. Informal vacation request email Subject: Vacation request June 1-15 Hi Jean, I'd like to request vacation time from Monday, June 1st through Tuesday the 15th. By using a human resources information system (HRIS) like BerniePortal, HR can make this enhanced employee handbook available for everyone on the team with a few clicks. Dear Valued Customer, We are beyond grateful for your continued support and loyalty to our brand and services. The way that vacation and PTO are talked about at your company is going to make a huge difference in people taking time off. to. 2. But a template doesnt do anything to solve the root of your annual leave problem. Another option is for HR to implement PTO blackout dates. - John Lie-Nielsen, One Park Financial 5. var currentUrl = window.location.href.toLowerCase(); (Campaign Monitor,2019) Add an eye-catching subject line and body. Sometimes, it's also about finding ways to encourage employees to take well-deserved time off. When some of your employees are using time off, share that information with the rest of the team and encourage them to do so as well. Various studies show that the current environment is taking a toll on employees' mental health and fueling workers' reticence about taking time off. To give the company time to finalize schedules, team members are expected to submit requests by [date] through [communication method]. HR circular format for employees are very helpful in this situation. HBR Learnings online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Team Management. document.head.append(temp_style); You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Talk through these fears and encourage them to use vacation time to spend more time with their families or to lay by the pool as a way to relax and unwind. How Companies Can Encourage Employees to Use Their Vacation Time. On the other hand, your business operations may permit you to allow employees to take vacation time on a day-by-day basis. Written by Back in early May, executives at The Insurance Market were worried that numerous employees were canceling their summer vacations. This is the same information in the Burnout Board, but its sent directly to you, so you dont risk overlooking it. Learn how SHRM Certification can accelerate your career growth by earning a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. By having these conversations, you can better understand why your employees arent taking time off, and what factors are preventing them from doing so. Push Your Employees Offlineand on Vacation Ettore Toppi Senior Consultant "You're taking a vacation? What Is a Dependent Care FSA and How Does It Work? Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor. These days will be scheduled so they dont interfere with any other company-wide events, such as annual meetings and retreats, and will allow everyone in your organization a chance to relax, recharge and reconnect with family or friends. Employees receive their allotted PTO at the beginning of the calendar year. Teams are feeling exhausted, work demands are on the rise, and more and more time is devoted to work instead of ourselves. 5 ways to encourage staff to take annual leave. This will help ensure that your employees use their paid time off and dont miss out on valuable benefits. In an age where 24/7 connectivity and increasing workloads are the norms, it can be hard for employees to take time off. Once the request is approved, the company Wallchart is updated so everyone can see that new time off has been added to the company calendar. To make sure that you use your annual leave before the end of the year, were writing to inform you that you will be on mandatory leave from [START DATE] to [END DATE]. Many HR professionals report that they've struggled with how to address this trend because vacation is such a sensitive topic. Additionally, employees will become more conscious of scheduling their breaks. Neither members nor non-members may reproduce such samples in any other way (e.g., to republish in a book or use for a commercial purpose) without SHRMs permission. Find the latest news and members-only resources that can help employers navigate in an uncertain economy. "People seem to say, 'I don't want to go to work today,' " she said, adding that the summer weather has also pushed people to use their PTO. use up to four hours of administrative leave time, or your sick time. You can also use these meetings as an opportunity to motivate your employees to take a break by explaining how important it is for their health and productivity. Many volunteers have been reluctant to go to the center amid the pandemic, which made it difficult for the 43 employees to take time off. It's hard to strike the right balance between informing staff of the facts and sharing the protective measures your business is taking without sowing fear or anxiety . Putting a cap on this important time doesn't help our effort to achieve high levels of employee satisfaction and productivity. Being transparent about leave policies allows individuals to consciously weigh trade-offs and enables everyone to operate from the same set of principles. Some organizations, such as the Assure Women's Center in Omaha, Neb., opted to let employees carry over more vacation time. Our unlimited vacation company policy allows employees to take as much leave as they need.