The Importance of Time Off

Question: I am concerned that my staff members take pride in how many hours they work or in how little time they take away from work. How can I encourage them to use their paid time off so they don’t suffer burn-out? 

Answer: As increased numbers of employees suffer from burnout, it would appear obvious that taking time away from work makes sense. However, it doesn’t seem to work that way. 

Research shows that taking time away from work lowers the burnout rate and positively impacts productivity. Having a generous paid time off policy (PTO) can positively impact your organization’s ability to compete for talent, your organization’s candidate experience, and your ability to retain your valued staff.

According to a recent study by Pew Research, 46 percent of employees surveyed take less time off than what is offered to them. Some of those asked said they don’t want to fall behind, so they’d rather stay and work. 

The survey also found that managers are even worse than staff members at taking time off—54% don’t take all that’s offered. Here is a disturbing fact, women take less of their PTO than men (women 54% less and men 48% less). Many women said it was because they didn’t want to make extra work for their coworkers. 

Now, a lot of our staff members work remotely at least part of the week, so what about their attitudes toward paid time off? We’re slowly learning about remote workers and here’s some data from a recent survey by Gusto. Remote workers are 5.5% less likely than the office staff to take time off. The most frequently voiced reason they don’t take time off is a positive one—since they don’t commute or work in the office every day, they are experiencing less burnout and therefore, feel less need to step away. The other most common reason for remote workers not taking time away is a less positive one; namely, they don’t feel they are entitled to take time away if they aren’t going to an office. 

There is plenty of research that shows that taking time away from work has a positive impact on concentration. Even a short walk outside or around the block can help solve a problem or help you remember something important. If a short break can have influence, think about what a two-week vacation might do for your productivity.

Urge your staff members to really take a break and not work while away from the office. Encourage the use of technology such as “out of office” messages on email. According to a survey by workforce analytic firm Visier, people who think about work on vacation are 44% more likely to think about quitting their jobs.

What can you do to encourage your staff members to take time off? Start by modeling the behavior you want to see. Take time off yourself and encourage anyone in a leadership position in your organization to do the same—and talk about it.