by Nigel Hilton
As a manager or small business owner, ideally, you want your best staff to be available all of the time. You certainly don’t want them taking holidays at the most inconvenient times when your business is busy, or a lot is going on. Staff going on leave can mean that your business is short-staffed, people have to cover positions that they aren’t entirely comfortable with, you might have to work overtime, and you could have lost someone with the expertise that you need.
But, you have a legal obligation to offer your staff leave. How much, will depend on your location and contracts, but all staff members are entitled to vacation time. Even if they weren’t, though, you should offer it. Your staff taking leave can be massively beneficial to your business, and with leave management software in the US offering it doesn’t have to be as complicated or as boat rocking, as you might imagine. Here’s a look at just some of the benefits of offering your staff regular leave.
It Will Improve Morale
Start denying leave, or making your team members work long hours for long periods, without taking an extended break can have a negative effect on morale. Your employees will be tired. They won’t be able to work to the best of their ability. They’ll be short-tempered and annoyed. They won’t enjoy coming into work, and they’ll start to feel burned out. Even one member of staff starting to feel like this can hurt the morale of your whole team.
Encourage your staff members to take regular leave can be great for morale. They’ll be well-rested and alert. They’ll be happier, having spent time doing something that they enjoy and they might even be eager to come back to work.
They’ll Be More Creative
Tired staff will never be at their most creative. But nor are people that stare at the same four walls day in day out. Give them leave, and they’ll come home rested and creative. But, they might also gain fresh inspiration from their time away. Their experiences outside of work can inspire new creativity and give them great new ideas.
It Gives Your Team Room to Develop
If people always do the same jobs, they never learn new skills. They might cover other positions occasionally, but they won’t be good at them, or confident doing the job. Colleagues going on holiday gives them the chance to learn new skills, to develop in their role and to take on new responsibilities. Having a team that can quickly pick up other tasks can be great for business, and make future leave easier to control.
Lower Levels of Sickness
Photo Credit and CC0 Licence - https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-blow-blowing-nose-hand-chief-698964/
Employees that work too much and spend a lot of their time feeling tired and stressed out are more likely to get sick. They are more likely to have to take time off ill. The reality is that giving people a week off now and then, can mean that they work more over the course of a year, with no sick days.