earned vacation. It’s the responsibility of managers to ensure their
teams are able to make the best use of their downtime, which
means not only providing coverage for when they’re away, but
additional workload support before and after their holidays.”
USE IT OR LOSE IT
Time away from work has been shown to increase productivity
and employee satisfaction, helping them to recharge and remain
engaged when they are on site – which has a noteworthy impact
on their performance, along with their contribution to a positive
corporate culture.
While more than half (53.8 per cent) of those polled said they
are entitled to four weeks of vacation or less this year, only 48.5
per cent of respondents indicated they will use all of their allotted
vacation time during an average year – with five per cent admitting
they most commonly take none.
BETTER VACATION EQUALS BETTER RETENTION
Almost half (47.3 per cent) of working Canadians say they would
switch employers for an increase in vacation time, even if all other
considerations remained the same.
In fact, three in five (60.6 per cent) workers between 18 and 34
and more than half (52.6 per cent) of workers between 35 and 44
– the two most coveted and challenging to recruit age groups –
agreed that increased vacation time alone could convince them to
leave their current employer.
THE DISCONNECTION DILEMMA
With so much extra time dedicated before and after vacation, dis-connecting
during those days off should be easy – but Canadians
say they have a difficult time leaving their work at the office.
Nearly half (44.6 per cent) say they will check work email or
reach out to the office while they are on vacation, with an additional
13.8 per cent at the ready to jump in should an issue arise. Younger
workers (18 to 34) were the most likely to keep a close eye on their
inbox, with more than half (56.5 per cent) saying they always check
in and 47 per cent admitting they check in multiple times.
“The calendar change represents the perfect opportunity for
both employees and managers to recommit making the most of
their valuable time off,” said Steenkamp. “Organizations can look
to update vacation policies, like adopting unlimited or flex vacation,
and give managers the tools they need to help make it easier for
their staff to get away, without paying for it elsewhere. Fostering a
culture that proactively supports its employees’ wellbeing not only
helps to increase on-the-job productivity and engagement, but to
improve retention and help keep top talent.” n
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“EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT BE PENALIZED WITH LATE NIGHTS
AND EARLY MORNINGS FOR TAKING THEIR EARNED VACATION.”
– HENDRIK STEENKAMP, ADP CANADA
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10 ❚ FEBRUARY 2019 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL
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