3 Benefits of Taking an Unplugged Vacation
July 15, 2013
Hopefully everyone has enjoyed some vacation time this summer or at the very least some long weekends. Hopefully you were able to unplug and enjoy time with your family. If you have, I bet when you walked back into the office you were feeling rested and refreshed. I also bet that your productivity increased, as well. A lot of times people avoid taking vacations or, if they do take them, they are constantly checking email. Reasons for this stem from guilt, fear of missing out (FOMO), or worry that they will be perceived as lazy or not a hard worker. Those perceptions need to change. There are many benefits to taking vacations and they should be encouraged, not frowned upon.
3 Benefits of Taking an Unplugged Vacation
1) Increased Employee Morale Employees will be happier knowing that vacations are encouraged and easy to take. They will also be happier right before and right after their vacation. 2) Employee Productivity Will Also Increase It’s not good for anyone to work so hard that they get burnt out. They will start turning in less than great work and will also start to resent the company and their coworkers. Taking even 20 minutes a day away from your desk and thinking about something else can improve productivity — imagine what 4-5 days can do! Taking an unplugged vacation will allow employees to come back to work ready to take on their tasks with more creativity to bring innovative ideas to the table. Their increased productivity will also improve your company’s bottom line. 3) Better Value Proposition for Potential Employees Think about it — higher employee morale equals low turnover and a more collaborative culture. That alone will add to your value proposition and make prospective candidates choose your company over others. Additionally, a great vacation policy with a culture that allows employees to take guilt-free unplugged vacations will attract potential candidates as well. The key to taking successful vacations is to remain unplugged. People on vacation should avoid checking (and especially answering) emails, and their co-workers should refrain from contacting them as much as possible.