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Workplace wellbeing: how to have a truly guilt-free holiday this summer

With the new overlapping nature of work and home life, utilising holiday allowance is now more important than ever before.

The problem is we are just not very good at taking breaks.

A 2018 study by glassdoor found that:

Only 40% of UK workers used their full holiday allowance
23% checked their emails while away
15% worked while on holiday for fear of falling behind
A further 15% claimed they were contacted by their boss
And 20% were contacted by a college.

But all work and no play is detrimental not only to health and wellbeing, but productivity and performance.

Further research suggests that employees experience a productivity boost by as much as 40% as a result of annual leave and a reduction in unauthorised absenteeism by 28%.

So, what can we do to ensure a truly guilt free holiday?

Employment expert Alice Weightman took on this issue in great detail earlier this week in The Evening Standard.

From the article…

Shorter holidays, closer to home can do wonders. Tag a day or two onto bank holidays to make the most of your time, and factor in busy roads and potential traffic into your journey to reduce stress.
Having said that, taking at least one ‘block’ holiday of 7-14 days each year will give you time to unwind, achieve personal goals, visit friends or family, and prepare to head back to work.
Think about it as losing money. Annual leave is part of your pay package. You almost certainly won’t be paid extra to work while you’re away, plus you’ll lose money spent on your holiday.
It might feel tempting to seem available, but saying you’re happy to work when you need a break will only cause exhaustion and resentment. Before you go away, you might think you can manage a few calls or meetings — but after sinking a few glasses of rosé at lunch you might not! Be realistic and plan in advance to hand over your work to colleagues so you can properly enjoy your time off.

Click here to read the full article.

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