Unlimited Holiday For Staff?
How would you feel about your employees deciding when and how long their holiday leave should be?
Most organisations not only track how much of their annual leave employees use, they track their daily hours.
Individuals who work a five-day workweek are obligated to receive 28-days off per year, according to U.K. law’s annual leave policy.
However, that is less than 10 percent of the days in the year, and is likely not enough time for holidays, doctor appointments, obligations to children and family members, and simply time to relax, when needed.
Many employees end up saving their annual leave for emergencies, ending up with unclaimed paid holiday days.
Others simply don’t want to ask their manager for a day off, believing it will reflect poorly on their commitment to work.
About one percent of companies, according to Bloomberg, started offering unlimited time off to their employees.
This includes Neflix, Groupon, HubSpot, and, most recently, The Virgin Group. Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of The Virgin Group, announced that he will implement this “non-policy” for employees in his U.K. and NYC offices, and, if it goes well, he will want his subsidiaries to follow this example, as well.
Most managers would balk at giving their staff the power to decide when to take time off, but is it possible that this policy can provide benefits to your firm?
In this article, we will argue that unlimited holidays can benefit your organisation in the following ways:
Less Stress
Feeling as if you are unable to take a day off when you need to is very stressful.
This lack of balance between one’s personal and professional lives leads to marital and relationship problems and guilt about missing out in children’s lives.
These issues cause anxiety for employees, which increases more and more with time.
Stressed employees underperform at work because they are too overwhelmed and tired to concentrate and complete their tasks.
When a company offers an unlimited holiday policy, employees are free to take a day off when they need it.
Whether it is for a doctor’s appointment, a quick out-of-town holiday, or simply a day to relax after a hard project, the freedom to pick their own time off reduces employees’ stress and promotes their well being.
When employees are less stressed, they are more creative, more energetic, and more happy at work!
Increased Loyalty
Offering an unlimited holiday policy will make your employees much more loyal to you.
After all, since only one percent of companies worldwide are offering this perk, your staff will think twice before leaving your firm for a competitor.
While the main reason that people switch jobs is a better salary package, it will be hard to go back to having to ask for approval on a total of 28 days off per year after being able to decide when and how much holiday leave to take.
More Responsibility
When you allow your staff to decide for themselves when and for how long to take their annual leave, they have to prove that they are responsible enough to do it.
They must either complete their tasks before their holiday, after they come back, or come to some sort of arrangement with their colleagues.
Your employees will need to become more responsible over their own workload, and how to manage it.
Instead of having a manager check in with them daily and assign their tasks, they will need to be on top of their own projects, work in teams with others, and keep track of their own schedules to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
This will benefit the company by creative responsible, engaged and self-motivated employees!
Courtesy-MTP Tips
