Health is Wealth: Why Vacation Time is Essential for Employee Productivity

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With the new year in full swing, organizations across Canada and their employees are taking stock of lessons learned in 2022, as well as the new realities facing today’s market after several contentious years globally. In the advent of Covid-19, there’s no denying that the mantra of “health is wealth” is more front and centre than ever before. Organizations face increased scrutiny when it comes to letting team members use vacation time and additional rest periods, and employees are demanding more opportunities to care for themselves both at work and at home.

As one of the contentious HR matters that organizations face, developing health and wellness policies and ensuring your employees actually use their vacation time can be challenging. At Pivot HR, we know that building a company culture that allows everyone to be at their best all year round is essential. Below, we’ll take a closer look at why employee health and rest matter so much and what you need to consider when implementing workplace policies. Read on to learn more!

Are We Really Rested?

It’s no secret that the last few years have been incredibly challenging for both employers and their employees. Canada’s workforce has experienced mass abnormalities regarding layoffs, work circumstances, changing government regulations, etc. While the need to be able to rest and recharge has always been present in the workforce, it should come as no surprise that such matters are even more important these days. Taking vacation time isn’t just a chance to get out of the office; it’s vital to restoring our sense of balance and personal worth (more on that below!). Burnout has become increasingly prevalent in the workplace, and one of the best ways to avoid an ailing team that starts to lag is to ensure that personal wellness isn’t just encouraged but is also easily enabled by policies and procedures. The benefits of investing in a dedicated wellness focus internally include:

Employee Health

The better rested we are, the better our immune systems can perform all year round. While it’s impossible to fully ward off the effects of cold and flu season, if you enable your employees to take time to care for themselves when they’re feeling run down or need a moment to recharge before giving a big push at the office, you’re likely to see less sick days in the office as a whole. So much of our health is tied into our ability to rest, therefore, creating a positive dialogue wherein appropriately allocated rest time results in a healthier environment for everyone is a great way to keep your crew in top shape and running at their best capacity.

Less Stress

Almost everyone in the workforce felt an increase in stress over the past few years, and for many within the workplace, not being able to take time off has only served to exacerbate things. Making sure your employees can take a vacation or use personal wellness days when needed helps to lower the overall stress level and keep things feeling much more manageable.

Balance and Personal Growth

While you certainly want to encourage employees to grow professionally within your business or organization, strong leaders know that it’s equally important to enable personal growth and balance for team members as well. Vacation time, using benefits, and taking sick time when necessary are all vital elements that help us stay grounded and “human” when approaching our work life. Compensation can also fit into this category, with transparent raise and reward policies serving as reassurance that hard work is valued within your organization.

Culture Development

Happy team members create a happy workplace culture for all to enjoy. Well-rested employees are far more likely to bring positivity to the office, as well as a focused perspective that inspires others to rise above and achieve great things together!

Productivity

Humans are almost always at our best when we feel rested and respected. Maintaining a workplace that allows employees to push hard for results while also knowing they can take a moment to breathe is essential when it comes to boosting productivity and building your brand. While it’s not uncommon for businesses to fear a loss of productivity with bodies out of the office, ensuring everyone can take their allocated vacation time will give you far more rewards in the long run when your staff are more loyal, inspired, and dedicated to win!

Build a Better Workplace with Pivot HR

Navigating HR matters and developing policies that allow your staff to have clarity with regard to vacation and additional time off doesn’t need to be a hassle. Pivot HR is pleased to offer organizations across Canada access to leading HR expertise and support across a wide range of matters including employment, workplace disputes, diversity and inclusion. Learn more about how we can help you build the best path forward by contacting us today!

What Our Clients say about us

“Robin and Mia were both exceptionally professional and responsive and understood our needs. Their work was of great quality. We are a small non-profit organization and we found them very easy and wonderful to work with. Great value and highly recommend.”

~ Joy Masuhara , Co-Chair Women Transforming Cities International Society

“Cindy is a remarkable professional coach, who goes well beyond expectations in supporting her clients’ development. She knows how to ask the right questions and uncover the real and deep issues that contribute to the limitations we put on ourselves. This type of personal exploration is tough work to do alone and remain committed to necessary change. Cindy’s approach and support made this process one of the most impactful experiences of my life, professionally and personally.”

~ Monique Cotton, Firm Administrator, JFK Law Corporation

“As a medium size business with over 100 employees working in very different areas of our operation, Pivot was able to quickly understand our HR needs and offer practical solutions. Robin and the Pivot team worked closely with our Leadership group to implement effective turnkey solutions on time and on budget. We will continue to use Pivot for our ongoing HR needs and would highly recommend their services.”

~ Adam Zubek, General Manager, Point Grey Golf & Country Club

Pivot HR Services provides personalized solutions for our organization’s human resources needs. By engaging their services, we have been able to successfully outsource our HR function, as the Pivot team has demonstrated their ability to understand the HR priorities of our workplace culture and industry.

~ Areef Abraham, Chief Executive Officer Community Power

“Robin developed our employee policy manual with the goal of engaging and retaining our current staff as well as attracting new ones in this highly competitive marketplace. Her in depth knowledge of current legislation and HR policies proved to be of significant benefit. I would highly recommend Robin and the team at Pivot HR Services.”

~ Christopher Soles, President, Nextgen Technologies Ltd.

“Robin has been and continues to be an outstanding resource for our organization to navigate HR issues as we grow. She always approaches problems with professionalism and a keen eye for our best interest. I’d certainly recommend Robin to anyone looking to elevate their HR processes.”

~ Karim Abraham, CEO, Kambo Energy Solutions

“Our firm turned to Robin for advice and guidance at a time when we faced a period of serious difficulty in managing our human resources. She assisted us through the process of putting our relationship with our staff on a stronger, more stable footing and helped us implement a complete overhaul of our human resources policies. We could not be more pleased with the work she has done and continues to do with us.”

~ Robert Janes, QC, Managing Principal JFK Law Corporation

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