THE GREAT HOLIDAY PAY OFF
THE post-holiday glow may only last a few days but annual leave has significant benefits for workers and employers.
Staff who take leave, particularly for a vacation, return to work refreshed and re-energised, leading to increased productivity.
New SEEK research reveals 92 per cent of workers take at least one holiday in a typical year, with more than a quarter (29 per cent) taking three or more.
Although one in five (19 per cent) say the post-holiday glow dies down as soon as they are back at work, 60 per cent say it lasts for more than a day and 13 per cent say it lasts for more than a week.
Regardless, the benefits to wellbeing have likely already come into effect.
Workplace mental health agency Heads Up reports taking a break can reduce stress and increase worker happiness, which leads to increased productivity and reduced absenteeism and staff turnover.
Bastion Collective chief executive Jack Watts knows all too well the value of staff who feel refreshed.
To help encourage this, the marketing firm has introduced unlimited paid annual leave for employees who have worked there for at least three years.
“We wanted to show our staff we trust them to get the job done and manage their time themselves,” he says. “We also know that refreshed staff are productive staff – our business is fast-paced, and we know that people need some time out from time to time.
“Think of how productive you are before you go on leave, getting everything done so everything goes smoothly while you are away from the office, then think about how productive you are when you are back in the office refreshed and rejuvenated.”
Watts says although the leave is unlimited, no one has taken more than an additional 10 days of leave in a year since the policy was introduced three years ago.
Customer success manager at MYOB Joseph Cooper says annual leave is “absolutely” important.
The company has launched a program offering an extra five days of leave to workers who have reached the end of their annual leave allocation, and received 100 applications within the first week.
The aim is to encourage staff to take more frequent holidays so they feel refreshed and engaged at work.
“It allows people flexibility so they can maintain work/life balance, and lets them unwind,” Cooper says. “I usually run close to zero on annual leave, so I love that I have a fall back and know I can take a break when I need to.”
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