According to global staffing firm Robert Half, 28 percent of U.S. office workers anticipated taking fewer days off in the summer months compared to last year because of concerns about COVID-19. Another option is for HR to implement PTO blackout dates. Down time is likely to be devoted to supporting good mental health rather than recreation or travel. This power move does two things: One, it communicates that taking a vacation is okay and two, it reinforces that your company prioritizes employee wellness. When the economy is unstable, employers are faced with difficult decisions around staffing, pay and benefits. Returning To Work After Vacation [8 Tips and Email Examples] - BambooHR A. shows that employees who take a lunch break are more likely to be satisfied with their job, and say they are as effective and efficient as they would like to be. "They were very relieved [by the change in policy], and we are trying to reward them as much as possible for their work.". Sales may also be the job that needs time off the most. Company culture has to promote self-care and wellness for the employees. Others may channel their anxiety about the world into their work so they are reluctant to take time off. else if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-mena.aspx") > -1) { If you're like most Americans, it's likely been a while, as 55% of workers don't use all their paid time off. 11+ Vacation Policy Examples - PDF, Word. Suddenly, a majority of people within an organization want to take time off. Help staff ease back into work after their leave. If you have any questions about your leave balance, or how to book leave, please reach out to your manager. The PTO issue finally began to resolve itself in mid-June when employees started returning to the office, said Jill Smith, the agency's operations manager. Guide To Vacation Leave Letters: Definition, Template and Sample And there are plenty of ways to do so. Thats why we have an annual leave policyto help you take care of yourself so that youre ready to go when it comes time to come back! var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); All PTO requests and approvals will be tracked using [system]. Employees encouraged to take time off for well-being Here are a few sample vacation request emails and a reminder email draft to help you get started: 1. How Companies Can Encourage Employees to Use Their Vacation Time. When Crystal Brown-Tatum, a human resources manager at Dallas Summer Musicals, noticed that her staff members were accruing more paid time off (PTO) during the pandemic than they would be able to roll over in 2021, she sent out a list of road trips for employees to consider taking. Don't Just Talk About PTO Benefits: Encourage Your Employees to There are many positive benefits of taking vacation time. 2. Helping Startups/ It Companies/ and Small Businesses to Enhance Their Business Through Branding and Marketing Ideas. } Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? 10 Types of Leaves to Include in Your Leave Policy, How to Manage Remote Employees over Microsoft Teams. Project: Time Off's study found that employees who take all of their vacation time increase their chances of getting promoted and getting a raise by 6.5 percent, compared with people who. So why not encourage your employees to try scheduling an extra day off on a Friday or Monday once in a while? Essentially, we reduce the individual reps sales goal for the month by a ratio equivalent to the number of days off. 8 Email Templates to Thank Employees for Their Great Work - The 6Q Blog Creating a COVID-19 vaccination policy is just the first stepnext you need to communicate the details to your employees. Employees who take time off come to work with a positive mindset and charged to take on challenges. Encourage Employees to Use Vacation Time [Mindful Policy] - actiPLANS This request is due to [provide reason/s]. This includes ensuring everyone takes their allotted time off and fostering a culture that doesn't make people feel hesitant to take their vacation days. The disparity in working conditions is becoming evident in the yield of work based on individual work-from-home circumstances. 'We understand you can't travel. All of my survey participants said it was important to take time off, but many were personally reluctant to unplug. By having these conversations, you can better understand why your employees arent taking time off, and what factors are preventing them from doing so. Encourage Employees to Take Vacation with a Mindful Vacation Policy An effective employee vacation policy isn't just about the accrual of leave balances and the scheduling of vacations. You can reach me at [alternate contact info]. agree on a time for the employee to take the leave. You may be doing a great job as a manager, but are you showing your employees how to be good managers? Fewer employees want to take vacations given that the pandemic has severely curtailed travel options. A substantial number of companies (42 percent) have made or are planning changes to PTO, vacation and sick-day programs, according to Willis Towers Watson. One way to encourage employees to take some time off is to have, Provide a list of fun activities or places nearby that are great for taking a break (e.g., If its nice out, try going on a hike!), Offer tips on how to stay focused on work while away from the office (e.g., Turn off notifications so they dont distract them!). They worry that workers' reluctance to take time off is only adding to the anxiety, stress and other mental health problems caused by COVID-19 and the recession. We encourage team members to take a minimum of 3 weeks (15 work days) of vacation time throughout the year, in addition to the holidays (bank, religious or otherwise) you choose to observe. A policy that is clear and available to all shows that you, as the employer, value the importance of vacation time for employees. Im writing to remind you that we have an annual leave policy. Many volunteers have been reluctant to go to the center amid the pandemic, which made it difficult for the 43 employees to take time off. How can you encourage employees to take vacation days? Summary. SHRM Employment Law & Compliance Conference, Heres How to Encourage Employees to Take PTO, New OSHA Guidance Clarifies Return-to-Work Expectations, Trump Suspends New H-1B Visas Through 2020, Faking COVID-19 Illness Can Have Serious Consequences, Report: Managers Have Bigger Impact on Employee Mental Health than Therapists, How to Handle Overtime, Meal Break and Other Wage and Hour Crises. Here's how you can encourage your employees to take their vacation time this year, even if it's only a staycation: Set an example. Subject: letter to encourage employees to take vacations. They considered creating a vacation bank that would accept donations of employees' unused PTO that could be tapped by colleagues facing extraordinary circumstances, but that was found to be too complicated to administer. Talk through these fears and encourage them to use vacation time to spend more time with their families or to lay by the pool as a way to relax and unwind. But encouraging your employees to use their time off is a win for you and for them. Annual allotment vs. accrual bank vs. unlimited? Managers need to rise to the occasion by encouraging time off from their employees. Create a cafe-like office. Here is a template you can use when structuring your email: Subject: [type of leave] request - [your name] Dear [employer's name], I would like to request [number of days or weeks] leave days that start from [date] and end on [date]. The Best Way We've Found To Get Employees To Take More Vacation Time Teams are feeling exhausted, work demands are on the rise, and more and more time is devoted to work instead of ourselves. 2. This allows your employees to start thinking of dates they might like to request off. There's more to PTO than making adjustments at the end of the year. When anyone on your team logs into Timetastic, theyll see their Wallchart: Their Wallchart tells them who has approved time off on the calendar, along with their own leave balance, so they can see how much leave they still have left to use. Encouraging to take time off is one of the most important things that you can do for your employees. In these difficult times, weve made a number of our coronavirus articles free for all readers. Build specialized knowledge and expand your influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Download Employee Mandatory Vaccination Policy Letter Template. How to Write a Vacation Request Email - With Examples Here are five reasons to encourage your employees to take a vacation. For further queries, you can reach our management department at [mention phone number] or directly through an email [mention email address]. Address and ease their fears of taking time off. Template: Check PTO Status HR Reminder So it becomes your responsibility to motivate such employees sometimes to take vacation leaves for a few days, and to help you create the appropriate letter for that, I have written some sample letters which you can refer to. Some organizations, such as the Assure Women's Center in Omaha, Neb., opted to let employees carry over more vacation time. Our unlimited vacation company policy allows employees to take as much leave as they need. Some employees might not even realize how much PTO they have accrued this year, so it's important for managers to let staff know how many PTO hours they have, especially if company policy limits the number of hours that can be rolled over to the next year. These include [dates]. Demonstrate care of your employees by offering flexibility, and model behaviors yourself by taking advantage of your own time off. Neither members nor non-members may reproduce such samples in any other way (e.g., to republish in a book or use for a commercial purpose) without SHRMs permission. When the company's needs override those of the employee, you may ask an employee to take a scheduled leave or use accrued vacation hours to compensate for. SHRM's HR Knowledge Advisors offer guidance and resources to assist members with their HR inquiries. Thats why its a good idea to keep your team updated on how much leave they have and the last time they took a break. In this post, we gave you three sample letters you can send to your team to remind them they have annual leave left to use or letting them know that leave will be carried over. If our content helps you to contend with coronavirus and other challenges, please consider, Unused vacations have cost U.S. businesses, women academics are publishing fewer papers. Her complaint wasnt about working in quarantine per se, but about her frantic pace and static productivity. This is an easy way to help your employees unplug, refocus, and enjoy themselves. To get all of HBRs content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime. They will follow suit if they see that you put in your fair share of hours at work. As Limeades CEO Henry Albrecht stated in my survey, Share the rules, show care, model the behaviors, and trust people to do the right thing.. To make sure that you use your annual leave before the end of the year, were writing to inform you that you will be on mandatory leave from [START DATE] to [END DATE]. The point is, you now have the information on hand. Subject Line: Please join us as we re-open our doors on June 05, 2020. We need to refuel early and often. More employees began requesting vacations in June, but they pulled back again in mid-July July as virus cases roared back, according to Zenefits, a San Francisco-based benefits provider. "Managers who meet with their staff prior to them taking PTO can brainstorm with them about who in the company is best to take over each task, project or client while they're out," Handrick said. This approach is common for groups with regularly recurring busy periods, like sales teams that are expected to close in Q4. Even though staff taking holiday can be disruptive in the short term, encouraging staff to book annual leave actually holds many benefits to employers in the long run: Cut stress & burnout, and improve productivity. Generally, there's no formal consequences for not using your mandatory vacation time. [Give a reason for sending the incorrect mail according to you in your own words, this is just an example given]. Here are six strategies on how managers can approach vacations when so much of the workforce is working from home. You can also use these meetings as an opportunity to motivate your employees to take a break by explaining how important it is for their health and productivity. How to write a MEMO for employee to clear annual leave? - Ask Me Fast By using a human resources information system (HRIS) like BerniePortal, HR can make this enhanced employee handbook available for everyone on the team with a few clicks. Employees accrue 15 days of vacation for the first year of employment and 20 days of vacation each year after the first year. The center, which provides counseling services to women with unplanned pregnancies, depends on volunteers to help carry out its mission. We know that not everyone feels comfortable taking time off work, but trust me: its worth it! Shift your organizations expectations from what youd do on a traditional vacation or even a staycation to envision creative ways to relax using resources lying in plain sight. But a template doesnt do anything to solve the root of your annual leave problem. On A Mission to Help Small Businesses to Be a Brand. To all employees: COVID-19 is unpredictable. Written by That's why it is so important to lead by example. It contributes to a great company culture. Studies show that almost 75% of employees do not take all of their allotted paid time off (PTO.) Note that due to the busy nature of this time of year, some requests may not be approved, depending on availability and workload. We asked nine thought leaders to share their best advice on how to encourage employees to take some well-deserved time off. 4 Simple Ways to Encourage Employees to Take Vacation - Montridge 2. } We have noticed that you have been working tirelessly for a long time without taking any type of leaves. Its also important to provide employees with references to any government or health official guidance, so they can also take that into account. Download Template : (pdf, docs, ODT, RTF, txt, HTML, Epub, Etc), Subject: Letter to Encourage Employees to Take Vacations. Encouraging Employees to Utilize Paid Time Off During a Pandemic Letter To Employee To Take Annual Leave - pdfFiller For additional queries, you can reach our department of [Mention the details] at [mention phone number] or directly through an email at [mention the email address]. John Linden, an interior designer at MirrorCoop, a custom-mirror company in Los Angeles, was so desperate for employees to take time off that he began buying them tickets to local museums so they might consider fun and socially distanced activities for their days off. Step 3 - Create your direction to take annual leave due to an excessive leave balance letter . Sample Welcome Back Letter From Sick Leave. On his half day off, one of my clients created a bouquet for his wife from his garden, repaired a bicycle, and read a book that had been sitting on his shelf for a decade. This letter is to inform [mention the name of the person] from [mention the name of the company or the organization to which you are writing this letter] that I the [mention designation of yours] of [mention name of the company and the organization] would like to encourage you to take a vacation from your work for few days. ". Informal vacation request email Subject: Vacation request June 1-15 Hi Jean, I'd like to request vacation time from Monday, June 1st through Tuesday the 15th. We live in Virginia and many drives that are beautiful. "It's not necessarily time off, but we encourage our people on no-meeting days to do that extra load of laundry or have . We were worried about you during your absence, and I speak for everyone here when I say that we are all thankful for your quick recovery. Vacation Policy - 11+ Examples, Format, Pdf | Examples 5 Ways to Persuade Employees to Take Vacation Before They Burnout Limit vacation day rollovers. Meanwhile, vacation requests fell roughly 50 percent during the initial months of the pandemic. Posted on August 4, 2021 Welcome Back to Work Letter and Email Examples - The Balance Careers You will need to demonstrate through your own actions that youre serious about time off. This strategy will give everyone equal opportunities when it comes to making decisions about how they spend their free time outside of work hours. Model time away, standardize. Set email communication a part of your corporate image . The way leaders take a vacation is a signal for employees on vacation expectations. Be open and transparent. The SHRM Blog does not accept solicitation for guest posts. This isn't unusual. "Time off gives you the opportunity to recharge. By setting out a clear policy and making leave easy to book, business owners can set a precedent that taking leave from work is encouraged. When you set these types of expectations, your team plans ahead and you don't have to get in the middle and manage everyone's schedules. You have always been a very loyal, hard-working, and passionate employee of our team (mention the details), and you have worked for a long time without taking any type of leaves. Design/methodology/approach - - The first step of the analysis identifies the wage policy . Tami Wolownik, human resources head at Siemens Mobility, North America, a transportation consulting firm in Alpharetta, Ga., suggests that managers encourage employees to take a day or two off to . Please log in as a SHRM member. Please try again later. "Employees may wonder what to do with a week off all at once, so encourage them to take a long weekend, or even a day in the middle of the busy workweek, for a few weeks in a row to lighten their workload," Winn said. "Make it mandatory," says Profico. 1) all the projects you recently finished or are currently working on. How to Tell an Employee to Take a Leave | Small Business - Chron Employee COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy Template - Paycor Vacation Request Letter: 4 Templates and Emails, Vacation Request Email to Boss Sample: 4 Examples, Holiday Request Letter to Manager: 4 Templates, Leave Extension Letter Example: 4 Templates, Holiday Request Letter example: 4 Templates, Leave Application Confirmation Letter: 4 Templates, Leave of Absence Letter Template: 4 Emails, Commercial Credit Analyst Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates, Commercial PropertyManager Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates, Commercial Real Estate Broker Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates, Commis Chef Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates, Clinical Application Specialist Cover Letter Example: 4 Templates. Knowing who on your team is at risk of burnout or who has a lot of leave left to use is a huge win. HBR Learnings online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Team Management. At this time I am proudly able to announce the reopening of Our Business on June 05, 2020.