Forced vacation for employees could result in better performance

Work can be very stressful and employees that do their jobs consistently without rest are bound to succumb to fatigue at one point. Aside from health complications, stressed employees are not able to perform to their fullest which could result in a sharp drop in productivity. Every business owner should understand that rest periods and vacations are crucial for the overall growth of the company although it may cost them a few working days and money.

In 2016, global aviation strategy firm SimpliFlying worked together with Harvard Business Review to implement a vacation scheme that forces employees to use their vacations, worrying about nothing else work-related.

SimpliFlying required its employees to take a week’s worth of vacation every seven weeks. The catch is that if the employee contacts his company during his vacation, then he will not be able to receive any compensation for that off-period.

The employees were observed for 12 weeks under the new policy and the results were good. Employee creativity increased by 33 percent, happiness levels by 25 percent and productivity by 13 percent.

When they went forward with the policy, SimpliFlying changed its schedule with a rest week every eight weeks instead of seven. The reason for this was that a rest week every seven was too frequent.

SimpliFlying CEO Nigam Shashank says that “I have seen not only personal growth in each SimpliTeam member but also development in each of their work. I dare say this experiment is a win-win.”

Giving employees the chance to take a well-deserved break has a positive impact on their happiness level and productivity at work. (Source)

How to keep employees happy

The key takeaway from the experiment is that treating employees with care translates to better performance at work. Having them rest without any worries for prolonged periods allows their bodies and minds to recuperate. However, treating employees right is not that simple.

ADT CEO Tim Whall says that setting fair goals for employees is a proper way of treating them right. Not only will the employees have constant bars to surpass, it will also be easier for the business owner to keep track of performance and have it rewarded accordingly.

In most cases, employees that work harder than the others get rewarded just the same. Not only does this demotivate hard workers, it could promote a poor work environment wherein extra effort is not rewarded properly.

Whall adds that business owners should also put in an extra sense of motivation in various work-related interactions. For instance, he could add some words of encouragement to company-sent emails. Work-related interactions don’t always have to occur with a serious tone.

Rest and rewards are just some of the many motivational factors that keep employees going through piles of work ahead of them. Handling these factors with care and understanding promotes company growth and culture heavily. Business owners could see this vacation weeks and rewards as investments that will greatly pay off in terms of productivity.