Taking time away from work is in the best interest of employees and their employers, because productivity increases when employees come back to work rejuvenated. (Image: Shutterstock)
Good news: more than a few workers plan to actually to use their vacation days for some fun or some needed R&R, according to a Monster survey.
A third (34 percent) of the survey respondents plan to use vacation days on summer travel, while 11 percent are saving them for winter holidays.
Taking time away from work is also in the best interest of employers, because productivity increases when employees come back to work rejuvenated, says Monster Career Expert Vicki Salemi.
“Employers should not only walk the walk but also talk the talk and encourage employees to take their hard-earned personal time,” Salemi says. “This means leading by example. Executives should take time as well and log off—truly unplug—for their own sake, and to set a precedent for a healthy workplace.”
This not only sends a message to employees that it's not only encouraged to take time off, it's “downright acceptable” when managers take time off themselves, she says.
Nearly 29 percent of the survey respondents are planning to take random days off to get away from work and enjoy a “staycation.” And almost 18 percent are utilizing vacation days as mental health days throughout the year, aka “sick-and-tired days.”
“It's wonderful that these mental health days are being offered and acknowledged, and that job seekers are using them,” Salemi says. “Especially if an employee has a toxic job, boss or workplace, this is critical — and remember to use those days also for interviewing for a better job!”
In fact, if individuals realize that they need more than an occasional day off for their mental health, they should seriously reconsider their current job situation. “This is a red flag that you should probably look for a much better job,” she says.
The survey also found that 9 percent of the respondents don't think they will use vacation days at all, which concerns Salemi.
“Not only is it already earned and money they're leaving on the table, there may be a deeper underlying reason,” she says. “Do they feel like they can't take the time off? Do they feel threatened someone will sabotage them while they're away? Are they afraid they'll be fired so they don't take time off and don't even take weekends off?”
If any of these scenarios are valid, individuals again should think twice about their current job — another red flag that it's time to look for a better job, Salemi says.
“Above all, no matter how you spend your time off, make sure you spend it,” she says. “And if your employer doesn't endorse it, find a better one that does.”
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Katie Kuehner-Hebert
Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a freelance writer based in Running Springs, Calif. She has more than three decades of journalism experience, with particular expertise in employee benefits and other human resource topics.
