The Amazing Benefits of Long Weekends for Your Employees (And Your Company!)

Employees are only using 77 percent of their paid time off. While it would seem that more working hours equates to higher levels of productivity, this simply isn't the case. It turns out that taking vacation time other than sick days is beneficial for both employees and your company.

 

Long weekends allow your employees to enjoy a longer period of recharge and rest than they normally would on a standard weekend. Many people see the weekends as the time to catch up on errands and housework, so an extra day or two gives your employees the opportunity to power down and take real rest.

You may want to encourage long weekends to be meaningful and peaceful. Urge your employees to avoid their emails, phones, and laptops for work purposes. Let them know that it's okay to sleep in, spend time with their family, or even do a little wilderness therapy where electronics don't fit in.

 

The Benefits of Long Weekends

 

1. Long Weekends Improve Focus and Creativity

Do your employees seem unfocused and off-track recently? If they seem to lack creativity and inspiration, it may be time to break the mundane routine and grant them a long weekend. Time off can help your employees get out of the daily grind for a bit so they can return to work refreshed and with better focus. You may notice that projects that weren't going anywhere previously suddenly take on a new life. Long weekends also give employees a chance to clear up any issues or responsibilities in their personal life that they haven't had time for. They can come back to work with a clear head after setting things straight.

 

2. Long Weekends Increase Retention

Even the best of your employees will get burned out and leave if you don't give them a break every once in a while. Hiring is a costly and time-consuming process. It's important to hang onto your valuable, hard-working employees as long as you can. Granting your employees some well-deserved time off increases their happiness, company loyalty, and decreases burn out. Happy, loyal employees stick around and save you costly hiring expenses.

 

3. You'll Have Healthier Employees

Wouldn't it be great if your employees took fewer sick days? Unlike when employees return from a few days of being sick, employees come back from vacation days feeling refreshed, motivated, and more productive. Not taking enough vacation can have a serious impact on your employees' health. The Framingham Heart Study found that women who only took one vacation per every six years were eight times more likely to suffer a heart attack than women who took two or more vacation each year.

 

4. Your Employees Will Make Fewer Mistakes and You Might Catch an Embezzler

Vacations are especially important for employees with very detailed and technical jobs like accounting. Errors can build up when an employee is tired and overworked. Human brains will never be perfect, but long weekends can help minimize errors. Many bank employees are strongly encouraged to take vacations periodically in order to prevent fraud. Often times, employees who are reluctant to take vacations are embezzling. Not only are vacations beneficial for your good employees, they are important for weeding out the bad ones!

 

The simple truth is that healthy employees are less expensive, happier, and more productive. Allowing long weekends every once in a while can serve their mental and physical health well. Not only will your employees be more productive, creative, and loyal, but they will voluntarily become ambassadors who spread the good word about what your company is doing. Giving your employees time off will allow you to maximize productivity and minimize risks from errors and fraud.

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