Omaha Jobs eBlast May 2018
Although it feels we just barely escaped winter to reach spring, most employers know their employees are already focused on summer vacations. For some employees, it means a fun trip. For others, it’s what to do with kids who are normally in school.
All the while, employers must figure out how to keep employees engaged and productive despite the beautiful weather beckoning them outside for recreation and relaxation.
How do your vacation benefits stack up?
Though paid vacation benefits vary from one company to another, the average annual vacation days for an employee in the U.S. is around 22 days, according to Bloomberg. Those are paid vacation days. Employees often fear to take all them, Bloomberg said, because employees are afraid they will lose their jobs. So while an employee may receive 22 days of paid time off for vacation every year, that same employee may only take 16 or 17.
Vacation is good for everyone
Canopy Health stresses the importance of paid time off for employees. Most HR experts agree employees do better overall when they’re allowed to spend time away from work to regroup and refresh, particularly when that time off isn’t a financial burden to the employee. The employers benefit too, say experts, in the form of increased employee productivity and happiness. Having a solid, generous paid vacation plan can also help attract top-notch candidates to open positions.
Encourage employees to take time off
How do you encourage your employees to actually use their paid vacation days so everyone benefits from employees who aren’t burnt out? Entrepreneur Magazine suggests leadership set a good example by taking their paid vacation days unapologetically. When managers communicate that taking time off is bad, everyone else fears to ask for it. Another suggestion is to declare an impromptu company holiday to essentially force employees to have a day off. Of course this only benefits those who get the day off with pay. It’s a good idea when employees collectively seem apprehensive about taking time off and consistently don’t use all their paid vacation days.
Get flexible
While summer typically conjures up images of sunny days at the beach, for other employees, the main concern is what to do with school-aged children while school’s out. It’s difficult for employees to focus on work if they’re worried about what mischief their kids get into at home. Offering flexible schedules during the summer months is a good option, as is offering the option to telecommute so parents can work from home. Offering reimbursement to childcare costs in the form of a flexible savings account (FSA) can also relieve some of the burden on employees who must pay for childcare in summer months.
Consider getting seasonal help for the summer
If your business simply can’t run smoothly while you accommodate time away for regular employees, you might consider bringing in seasonal or temporary help. Before you do, however, get familiar with the rules set by the United States Department of Labor regarding seasonal employees.
Happy employees: happy employers
Time away from work is good for everyone, Forbes says. Granting paid time off to employees shouldn’t be seen as a burden – it’s a benefit to everyone involved. Help employees avoid burnout by encouraging time off – no matter what season it is. The business as a whole benefits when employees are happy and are a positive effect on the company’s bottom line.