Employees struggle to take full advantage of annual leave. This hesitance often stems from a fear of falling behind on work, which poses risks to productivity, wellbeing, and company culture for organisations.
Seventy-eight per cent of professionals in the UK reported feeling anxious when returning to work after taking time off, and many failed to completely disconnect during those breaks, according to new data from recruitment company Robert Walters.
“Annual leave should provide professionals respite and a chance to reset — it shouldn’t cause them to become more stressed than before they went away,” Chris Eldridge, CEO of Robert Walters UK & Ireland, said in the release.
This anxiety can come from a fear of falling behind on projects; Sixty-seven per cent of surveyed employees agreed that it was much easier to relax on annual leave when their teams are also off. Moreover, 45% of employees would support trials on fixed periods of leave, similar to policies across Europe that allow some companies to close during selected periods in July and August.
Many employees will check work emails during annual leave to minimise the potential backlog they’ll return to (51%) and to stay on top of “urgent matters” (43%).
“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for annual leave or holiday policies,” Eldridge said. “Instead, strategies should be customised to prioritise employee wellbeing, engagement, and productivity.”
Robert Walters surveyed 1,300 professionals and 100 business leaders in the UK in April and May.
A pattern is emerging
The data found that “always on” work cultures continue to affect staff wellbeing in the UK, in accordance with previous Robert Walters survey data, and many employees struggle to disconnect from work because of increased stress and anxiety.
However, recent findings show a reduction in the number of employees monitoring work emails, compared to data obtained in September from 1,500 white-collar workers.
Furthermore, Robert Walters’ latest study did not explicitly tie difficulties switching off to an increase in performance pressure from employers, a concern expressed by respondents in last year’s survey.
Encouraging employees to look after themselves starts with leaders who acknowledge the importance of having and talking about personal interests, according to wellbeing, leadership, and organisation development specialist Naomi Dake.
“That’s not copping out as a leader,” she said in an interview with FM. “That’s absolutely recognising that people will have a life outside of work.”
Tackling an ‘always on’ culture
Creating a work culture that encourages employees to “optimise” their annual leave is imperative for productivity, engagement, and wellbeing. The Robert Walters release advises companies to:
Communicate, don’t compare: Create a culture where time taken off is not reflective of an employee’s capability or commitment, the release said, and advise teams to “share holiday schedules to keep each other in the loop”.
Be flexible: “Offer adaptable leave arrangements that accommodate individual needs,” which could include allowing remote working during summer months.
Implement mandatory handovers: Ensure staff complete thorough handovers before taking leave to minimise the need for them to log in during time off.
Redivert inquiries: “Once out-of-office messages are set, strengthen them by signposting appropriate secondary contacts for any urgent issues,” the release said.
Encourage pre-leave preparation: Employees can create to-do lists to prioritise tasks upon return, the report said, making it easier to manage their workload effectively.
Create a right-to-switch-off culture: While the UK government’s plan to enforce the “right to switch off” under the Employment Rights Bill was removed due to perceived business burdens, companies can still promote engagement by supporting employees’ right to switch off during holidays, the report said.
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Steph Brown at Stephanie.Brown@aicpa-cima.com.
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