In the time before the pandemic, competition among employees was the status quo. There was an environment that rewarded them for working longer hours and eschewing time off. That’s how promotions and raises were made, and that’s what people wanted.
Employees are more focused these days on balancing their jobs and personal lives. In both, they’re thirsty for preserving their mental and physical health and building human connections. They want to be successful at work, but not at the expense of their other priorities.
Although careers aren’t the only things defining employees now, that doesn’t mean their livelihoods aren’t still important. A lot of workers forgo the paid time off they’re allotted, even if they live under a use-it-or-lose-it policy. While you may think that’s good for your company and its bottom line, it’s not. Here are some good reasons you should encourage them to actually use their PTO.
It Tamps Down Your Burnout Rate
Burnout isn’t a badge of honor. Employees who put in far more than 40 hours a week at the office may think they’re stars. But over time, they’ll just be gaping black holes drawing energy out of the workplace with their gravitational pull.
Working overtime without taking breaks is only sustainable for so long. At some point, they’ll no longer be able to face coming into the office. When conditions like anxiety and depression set in, they’ll walk out the door and not come back. Or worse, they’ll hang around and make you terminate their employment for nonperformance.
A lot of employees will need to understand that you, as their employer, recognizes the value of a little R&R. You can go a long way toward doing that by developing generous PTO policies and offering an engaging employee discount program. Nothing says, “We want you to take your PTO,” like providing amazing discounts on vacations, entertainment, and other getaway opportunities. It should also require that managers and other leadership take their PTO as an example.
You want to keep your employees happy and healthy. That means you need to not only encourage them to take their PTO but also entice them to do so. They need to get away to keep firing on all cylinders rather than going up in smoke.
It Boosts Productivity and Retention
There are numerous workplace rules about focus and productivity informed by research. Too many meetings and others that are too long suck productivity. Taking too few breaks during the workday is bad, because the quality of time spent working is more important than quantity.
PTO is simply a longer break from the grind. It gives employees’ minds and bodies a break, expands their horizons, and refreshes their outlook on work and life. It helps them tread that fine balance between their work and personal lives that has been proven to spur productivity.
Then, there’s retention, inexorably linked to productivity and a key element of a company’s success. Productivity bolsters morale, which increases job satisfaction that leads to retention of your best and brightest. Plus, thoughtful PTO policies can make the difference between attracting stellar employees or losing them to someone else.
Copious research has concluded that without time away from work, ideas become stale, creativity is blocked, and productivity grinds to a halt. Employees may take time off to spend with family, friends, or alone. Their PTO may be relaxing or adventurous, close to home or a world away. However they do it, they’ll recharge their batteries and hit the ground running when they return.
It Helps Your Bottom Line
If your routinely rested employees are more productive and stick around, you’ll see that reflected in your profit margin. Of course, giving them generous PTO comes at a cost to your overhead expenses. But making them take it may make an elusive win-win for everyone.
Surveys have shown that most employees want unlimited PTO — a thought that can strike fear in most employers. But companies with strong team cultures can pull this off without employees taking advantage of the situation. In fact, many companies with leadership that develops the right accompanying project management and workflow systems find unlimited PTO boosts productivity.
If your company PTO policy allows employees to accumulate unused PTO to cash out when they leave, you’re probably losing money. Plus, they aren’t taking the time off they need to reduce burnout and increase productivity. Although less attractive to many workers, that use-it-or-lose-it policy might save your company some money.
There’s little doubt that employees want flexibility on every front they can get it. That includes where they’re physically located while on the clock as well as when and how much time they can take off. Whether you offer unlimited PTO, cash-out accumulation, or a lose-it policy depends on your company. But under every scenario, encouraging employees to take their time off should help your bottom line.
Take Off
PTO comes with a whole set of issues companies must address. Scheduling shifts and project coverage during absences can be a hassle. Balancing the company’s best interest while also trying to honor employee PTO as requested can be challenging. But the benefits of workers taking their PTO as well as the advantages to the business are equally shared. It’s worth the trouble for everyone when people take off.