Another option is for HR to implement PTO blackout dates. This combination pushed the company to send an e-mail to its 600 employees last month asking each of them to take five days of vacation before the end of August, said Steve Pemberton, chief human . Essentially, we reduce the individual reps sales goal for the month by a ratio equivalent to the number of days off. The next big thing to solve is making sure your team has the tools to book their holiday. Managers need to rise to the occasion by encouraging time off from their employees. These include [dates]. There are a lot of stressors now and our biggest concern is our employees becoming burned out. Others are more likely to follow when company policies express and your behaviors demonstrate what you most value. If this is the case, HR should consider the following questions when auditing their time-off policy: To learn more about communicating these updates, use the template inthis BerniePortal resource. year after restoration (i.e., restored in leave year 2013 to be used by the end of leave year 2014). Additionally, employees will become more conscious of scheduling their breaks. "Make it mandatory," says Profico. Download Template : (pdf, docs, ODT, RTF, txt, HTML, Epub, Etc), Subject: Letter to Encourage Employees to Take Vacations. "It's important for employers to say [to employees], 'We care about you,' " said Jackie Reinberg, North America consulting leader, absence, disability management and life, at London-based Willis Towers Watson. " Wed like to avoid you losing your hard-earned time off. 10 Types of Leaves to Include in Your Leave Policy, How to Manage Remote Employees over Microsoft Teams. var currentUrl = window.location.href.toLowerCase(); In, Template: PTO Communication to Remind Employees to Use Time Off Hours, more productive and exhibit lower stress and better mental health, There's more to PTO than making adjustments at the end of the year. For small teams, granting PTO requests while maintaining an effective workforce is a big challenge, especially around federal holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as other religious holidays like Hannukah. You must provide the employee with notice that you require them to take annual leave, in line with the . $('.container-footer').first().hide(); This power move does two things: One, it communicates that taking a vacation is okay and two, it reinforces that your company prioritizes employee wellness. The center, which provides counseling services to women with unplanned pregnancies, depends on volunteers to help carry out its mission. "It is important for all of us to step away from time to time and come back to work refreshed and revitalized," Chancellor Rebecca Blank says. But if you dont use it by the end of the year, [DD/MM/YY], then your time off will reset for the new year. Neither members nor non-members may reproduce such samples in any other way (e.g., to republish in a book or use for a commercial purpose) without SHRMs permission. HR circular format for employees are very helpful in this situation. Help staff ease back into work after their leave. "This helps reassure the employee that they can truly take time off to relax with family without feeling guilty or stressing out about checking e-mail and phone messages.". Dear Dean, Welcome back! Company culture has to promote self-care and wellness for the employees. } But encouraging your employees to use their time off is a win for you and for them. Steve Pemberton, chief human resources officer at the company, which is co-headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and Framingham, Mass. SHRM's HR Knowledge Advisors offer guidance and resources to assist members with their HR inquiries. In many companies, employees may even need to find coverage while they're out so their workload isn't interrupted. You can show them that work-life balance is important by: Employees are busy, and it can be easy to forget about the vacation days theyve accrued over the past year. To solve this problem, you can use Timetastic as your staff leave app. - John Lie-Nielsen, One Park Financial 5. I will be back at work on [DATE]. Your Burnout Board highlights who on your team is overdue for a break: Your Burnout Board tells you how much time off someone has left to use, when the last time they took a day off was, and if they have any bookings coming up. The pandemic has affected many people. You have always been a diligent, hard-working, and loyal team employee (mention the details). Also, push your team to unplug for at least a day on the weekend, never checking any work messages. For our reps, we've developed a simple algorithm for encouraging them to take vacation days and PTO. Drew Gieseke is an aPHR-certified marketing professional who writes about HR, compliance, and healthcare solutions. By involving the entire team, you make taking breaks part of the culture along with supporting and being generous with each other. For example, one of my direct reports said she was not going to use her vacation as she did not have any plans. Demonstrate care of your employees by offering flexibility, and model behaviors yourself by taking advantage of your own time off. Format #1. Thats why its a good idea to keep your team updated on how much leave they have and the last time they took a break. Here are five tactics that can make a difference: 1. Some fear that taking time off may make them appear less dedicated or essential, attributes that no one wants to project amid layoffs across many industries. advise the employee you would like them to take some of their annual leave, and. Even though staff taking holiday can be disruptive in the short term, encouraging staff to book annual leave actually holds many benefits to employers in the long run: Cut stress & burnout, and improve productivity. The Laurel, Del.-based insurance agency has a "use it or lose it" policy and didn't want its 38 employees to forgo paid time off (PTO), even if they couldn't get away to their usual vacation haunts due to the pandemic. You can reach me at [alternate contact info]. We've all missed you, and the residents have been anxious for your return. temp_style.textContent = '.ms-rtestate-field > p:first-child.is-empty.d-none, .ms-rtestate-field > .fltter .is-empty.d-none, .ZWSC-cleaned.is-empty.d-none {display:block !important;}'; You may be setting the bar high with your hard work and dedication, but if you arent taking time off yourself (and showing others how its done), then they wont know how to break away from their official responsibilities. They can use that time as a mini-weekend getaway with their friends or family. Research shows that, thanks to remote work, we're spending an average. Thats what we will discuss next. Why it's in your interest for staff to take leave. Even if your company doesnt offer paid time off, encouraging employees to put down their phones and computers for even just one day a week will be beneficial for their health and productivity. Disclaimer, Elon Musk's Illusion of Control Undermining Teslas Future, SHRM Partners with William G. McGowan Charitable Fund with Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. and Diana Spencer, The Moment is Now for Emotional Intelligence - #SHRM22, How HR Analytics Can Leverage Performance Appraisal System. These Three Words Describe Me in The Best Way. This request is due to [provide reason/s]. 1. In these difficult times, weve made a number of our coronavirus articles free for all readers. Purpose - - The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the employer's wage policy on the wage dynamics of vulnerable groups of employees at large firms, including younger employees, employees on fixed-term contracts, and employees who take parental leave. 3) who you are leaving in charge of any project should an emergency or immediate question arise. That's why it is so important to lead by example. This is especially helpful in getting high performers or those gunning for a promotion to take vacation time. This was the concern one of my clients recently. Subject Line: Please join us as we re-open our doors on June 05, 2020. David Zaitz/Getty Images. So it becomes your responsibility to motivate such employees sometimes to take vacation leaves for a few days, and to help you create the appropriate letter for that, I have written some sample letters which you can refer to. Studies show that almost 75% of employees do not take all of their allotted paid time off (PTO.) $(document).ready(function () { One of the most important things you can do to ensure that your employees are able to enjoy their time off is to create company holidays. For further queries, you can reach our management department at [mention phone number] or directly through an email [mention email address]. It's hard to strike the right balance between informing staff of the facts and sharing the protective measures your business is taking without sowing fear or anxiety . Home Letters Templates Encouragement Letters. With the initial adrenaline rush of the crisis passed, vast numbers of my clients are reporting that they and their teams feel flayedand exhausted to the point of being useless, work demands are on the rise, and the time saved commuting has been converted to meetings that creep earlier into the day and fill the space between dinner and (a too-late) bedtime. Through a combination of this survey data and individual coaching conversations, here are six strategies for managers on how to approach vacations when so much of the workforce is working from home. These days will be scheduled so they dont interfere with any other company-wide events, such as annual meetings and retreats, and will allow everyone in your organization a chance to relax, recharge and reconnect with family or friends. part-a (to be filled up by. "It ended up that a lot of people were not able to use their vacation," said Barb Malek, the center's operations director. Asking employees to take a mandatory leave of absence can give both the employer and employee time to evaluate. It is the most valued," Reinberg said. But, according to Balsamiq founder Giacomo Guilizzoni, "It instills an opposite kind of guilt: If I don't take my 20 days I will set a bad example for my team." Make unlimited vacation time work Companies are offering a range of wellness options but also vary in their policies about taking time off, from we trust you, take care of what you need to to take some of your allotted vacation time to we need all hands on deck right now and we can figure out time off later.. Frequent breaks are more helpful because amped up levels of stress mean we cant always wait for the long-anticipated, lengthy vacations of the past. Our unlimited vacation company policy allows employees to take as much leave as they need. Let them know that, Its time to make it a habit for your employees to unplug from work often, taking into account their, One of the most important things you can do to ensure that your employees are able to enjoy their time off is to create company, Encouraging your employees to take vacations. A substantial number of companies (42 percent) have made or are planning changes to PTO, vacation and sick-day programs, according to Willis Towers Watson. Tami Wolownik, human resources head at Siemens Mobility, North America, a transportation consulting firm in Alpharetta, Ga., suggests that managers encourage employees to take a day or two off to . Im writing to remind you that we have an annual leave policy. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM MENA "); HR leaders should also train managers on vacation policies, and encourage employees to speak to HR if they have concerns about taking time off. That is why I would encourage employees to take days off by recommending they spend time with their families. Here are five ways to encourage your employees to take a holiday leave: 1. Talk through these fears and encourage them to use vacation time to spend more time with their families or to lay by the pool as a way to relax and unwind. There are many positive benefits of taking vacation time. I have been continuously suggesting people use their vacation time so they do not forfeit it at the end of the year and to ensure they are getting downtime. **Note to employees who are projected to have annual leave that otherwise would be subject to forfeiture Helping Startups/ It Companies/ and Small Businesses to Enhance Their Business Through Branding and Marketing Ideas. Gain the intel you need now to successfully anticipate and navigate employment laws, stay compliant and mitigate legal risks. They considered creating a vacation bank that would accept donations of employees' unused PTO that could be tapped by colleagues facing extraordinary circumstances, but that was found to be too complicated to administer. Sample employee email to encourage them to get vaccinated . So why not encourage your employees to try scheduling an extra day off on a Friday or Monday once in a while? Back in early May, executives at The Insurance Market were worried that numerous employees were canceling their summer vacations. And finally, activate your team by creating a plan where work is still accomplished, even as people are offline. Youll feel so much better when you get back than if you hadnt taken any time at all, and your coworkers will appreciate having someone healthy around them again! If you have any questions about your leave balance, or how to reschedule your leave, please reach out to your manager. Managers at HealthJoy are encouraged to talk with staff about their own planned time off, including sharing what they're looking forward to during their time away, Wilsonsaid. Dear [Name of Manager], I would like to request for one week of leave from [DATE] to [DATE]. You should also include any rules on how many people from a team/the organisation can be away simultaneously. Create a cafe-like office. But do your employees? With people understandably fearful about their employment, employers need to set up and give people the mental break they need. Long Vacation Message. The fear of being replaced or overlooked for projects or promotions is a potential factor preventing your employees from taking time off. Its time to make it a habit for your employees to unplug from work often, taking into account their mental well-being. Sometimes, it's also about finding ways to encourage employees to take well-deserved time off. By using a human resources information system (HRIS) like BerniePortal, HR can make this enhanced employee handbook available for everyone on the team with a few clicks. Sabina Nawaz. (Campaign Monitor,2019) Add an eye-catching subject line and body. Down time is likely to be devoted to supporting good mental health rather than recreation or travel. The PTO issue finally began to resolve itself in mid-June when employees started returning to the office, said Jill Smith, the agency's operations manager. Managers are also encouraged to be vocal about taking shorter amounts of time off. Let them know that vacation can improve their relationships at work, as well as their productivity and morale. When the economy is unstable, employers are faced with difficult decisions around staffing, pay and benefits. How does employee seniority impact PTO benefits? var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); When you set these types of expectations, your team plans ahead and you don't have to get in the middle and manage everyone's schedules. On his half day off, one of my clients created a bouquet for his wife from his garden, repaired a bicycle, and read a book that had been sitting on his shelf for a decade. Team members of some of my clients try things theyve never done, just to infuse novelty such as sketching or singing. One way to encourage employees to take some time off is to have, Provide a list of fun activities or places nearby that are great for taking a break (e.g., If its nice out, try going on a hike!), Offer tips on how to stay focused on work while away from the office (e.g., Turn off notifications so they dont distract them!). Teams are feeling . It was hard for all survey respondents to know what to do with an extended vacation of more than a week. "Time off gives you the opportunity to recharge. You don't need us to tell you that taking time off should reduce stress. This person can then quickly approve or decline the request, with a full view of any potential holiday clashes in the app.