use up to four hours of administrative leave time, or your sick time. But please keep in mind that this leave must be used within the next calendar year or the carry over balance will expire. Thank you for a great year. Taking time off might seem like an unnecessary luxury given that we all have deadlines looming over our heads all day long; however, these breaks allow both employers and employees to get away from our desks so they can relax and come back refreshed when they return. Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. var currentUrl = window.location.href.toLowerCase(); Download Template : (pdf, docs, ODT, RTF, txt, HTML, Epub, Etc), Subject: Letter to Encourage Employees to Take Vacations. By giving your team the tools they need to see how much leave they have left to use, and book new requests, youre giving them what they need to take their holiday leave throughout the year. For example, women academics are publishing fewer papers, presumably because of their disproportionate responsibility at home. agree on a time for the employee to take the leave. Here are five ways to encourage your employees to take a holiday leave: 1. Not to mention that according to SHRM, when employees take PTO, theyre often more productive and exhibit lower stress and better mental health. Please confirm that you want to proceed with deleting bookmark. Address and ease their fears of taking time off. Please enter the text you see in the image below: SHRM provides content as a service to its readers and members. We strongly recommend taking vacation time during this pandemic. Timetastic helps make that a reality by giving your team an easy way to see their leave balance, check the companys time off calendar, and book their holiday request. Team members of some of my clients try things theyve never done, just to infuse novelty such as sketching or singing. Your communication needs to include your companys stance on travel, any restrictions back at work if someone does leave town for example, a lab worker who must be on site after vacation and risks to public and personal safety. The fear of being replaced or overlooked for projects or promotions is a potential factor preventing your employees from taking time off. 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. Help staff ease back into work after their leave. } This is the same information in the Burnout Board, but its sent directly to you, so you dont risk overlooking it. Long Vacation Message. Teams are feeling . Please log in as a SHRM member before saving bookmarks. If it has been awhile since you took a vacation, start planning your time off. 10 Types of Leaves to Include in Your Leave Policy, How to Manage Remote Employees over Microsoft Teams. Push Your Employees Offlineand on Vacation Ettore Toppi Senior Consultant "You're taking a vacation? This strategy will give everyone equal opportunities when it comes to making decisions about how they spend their free time outside of work hours. Here are six strategies on how managers can approach vacations when so much of the workforce is working from home. 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. With varying demands for inter-generational care and self-care, encourage your employees to take the time they need to balance competing priorities. Please try again later. Employees encouraged to take time off for well-being var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); You don't need us to tell you that taking time off should reduce stress. This was the concern one of my clients recently. Vacation Policy - 11+ Examples, Format, Pdf | Examples This combination pushed the company to send an e-mail to its 600 employees last month asking each of them to take five days of vacation before the end of August, said Steve Pemberton, chief human . But if youre always putting in extra time because that project needs to be on timeor because theres too much work left over from last weekthen this will send the message that its okay for them not to take any personal days and just keep going without sleep or relaxation. Redefine vacations to mean more than just recreation and travel to include family time, caregiving, and self-care. Why You Need to Encourage Employees to Use Their Vacation Time You may be setting the bar high with your hard work and dedication, but if you arent taking time off yourself (and showing others how its done), then they wont know how to break away from their official responsibilities. If you're in HR, use this email template to communicate to your staff regarding coronavirus and flu prevention. You can reach me at [alternate contact info]. Make booking leave from work easy. Encourage your staff to take the full amount of time allotted to enjoy themselves and come back refreshed for work. Ask employees to create a vacation plan and mark the due date for filing leaves on their calendars. One of the most important things you can do to ensure that your employees are able to enjoy their time off is to create company holidays. These include [dates]. First, when you use Timetastic, you get access to your teams Burnout Board. If you have any queries, you can reach our department of [Mention the details] at [mention phone number] or send your questions through an email at [mention the email address]. 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 focus on family; provide caregiving; volunteer; engage in self-care and hobbies; or do traditional holiday activities such as wrapping presents, decorating their homes or baking cookies. What Is a Dependent Care FSA and How Does It Work? "As employers, we have to be cognizant of the mental health impact that the pandemic is having," Pemberton said. Employees who are able to relax and spend time with their families often report higher job satisfaction than those who dont have this opportunity (and may even want more). Thank you for going the extra mile. And finally, activate your team by creating a plan where work is still accomplished, even as people are offline. 2. I've included a sample email template to send to your team today. But do your employees? Overworked employees are unhappy, do not engage and do not contribute to a productive office environment. Unfortunately, the time for booking your annual leave has passed. Don't Just Talk About PTO Benefits: Encourage Your Employees to Of this total, $210B was used and $155B was unused. 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. Itll be a great way to recharge their batteries without sacrificing any work hours. But we know that unplugging from work is important.' All PTO requests and approvals will be tracked using [system]. Taking time off should be encouraged by companies and managers to promote employee wellness, happiness, and productivity in the workplace. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. Company culture has to promote self-care and wellness for the employees. 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. "With the holidays coming up, we'll continue to remind employees that taking time to recharge benefits everyone, and it will help them be in a better mindset for what will hopefully be a much less chaotic 2021," she said. For example, one of my direct reports said she was not going to use her vacation as she did not have any plans. Knowing who on your team is at risk of burnout or who has a lot of leave left to use is a huge win. The benefits of taking time off are numerous: it helps your employees be more productive at work, it helps them be happier with their job, it can make them more creative by giving their minds a chance to wander freely with no deadlines or restrictions, and it gives them a chance to recharge their batteries so that when work starts up again after the break theyre ready for anything. Various studies show that the current environment is taking a toll on employees' mental health and fueling workers' reticence about taking time off. On the other hand, your business operations may permit you to allow employees to take vacation time on a day-by-day basis. You have always been a diligent, hard-working, and loyal team employee (mention the details). Letter To Employee To Take Annual Leave - pdfFiller Disclaimer, Elon Musk's Illusion of Control Undermining Teslas Future, SHRM Partners with William G. McGowan Charitable Fund with Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. and Diana Spencer, The Moment is Now for Emotional Intelligence - #SHRM22, How HR Analytics Can Leverage Performance Appraisal System. The first step to dismissing any negative perceptions about taking time off is to reassure your employees that their jobs are safe. Using this circular for declaring holiday format, you can write leave circular for your own company. It outlines the employee's intended days off and their plan for coverage at work. This allows your employees to start thinking of dates they might like to request off. You may be doing a great job as a manager, but are you showing your employees how to be good managers? Posted on August 4, 2021 Does the organization pay out unused time off? The best paid time off tracking software (3 options), The best vacation tracking software (2 options), The best annual leave calendar for your business, The best way to track employee time off: plus, 2 alternative methods. 8 Engagement Templates to Encourage Employee Glassdoor Reviews Select a Friday on the calendar and announce that the company will be giving everyone a paid day off. Marketing | Branding | Blogging. Back in early May, executives at The Insurance Market were worried that numerous employees were canceling their summer vacations. This letter is to inform you from [mention the name of the company or the organization for which the sender is writing this letter] that I, the [mention designation of the sender] of [mention name of the department], would like to encourage you to take a vacation from your work for some days. With people understandably fearful about their employment, employers need to set up and give people the mental break they need. 4.2.2 Earning Vacation. For our reps, we've developed a simple algorithm for encouraging them to take vacation days and PTO. How to Tell an Employee to Take a Leave | Small Business - Chron The center, which provides counseling services to women with unplanned pregnancies, depends on volunteers to help carry out its mission. - John Lie-Nielsen, One Park Financial 5. 5 Reasons You Should Encourage Your Employees To Take Vacations We help you make things easy for everyone by giving you two things in this article: Lets be honest: You shouldnt really need letter templates. We know it can be difficult to remember, especially when youre in the middle of a busy day, but taking small breaks throughout the day will actually help keep you and your employees feeling energized, happy and inspired. We asked nine thought leaders to share their best advice on how to encourage employees to take some well-deserved time off. You want your employees to take a break from their work and enjoy the world outside. To recap, here's how to ask for time off: Tip#1: Send a vacation request email weeks in advance. How to encourage employees to take annual leave - Breathe HR They dont solve the root of your problem, which is finding out who on your team hasnt taken leave and giving your team a really easy way to book their holiday. document.head.append(temp_style); You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. 14 Tips For Encouraging Employees To Take Time Off - Forbes Employee COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy Template - Paycor If our content helps you to contend with coronavirus and other challenges, please consider subscribing to HBR. Through a combination of this survey data and individual coaching conversations, here are six strategies for managers on how to approach vacations when so much of the workforce is working from home. Here are a few sample vacation request emails and a reminder email draft to help you get started: 1. Vacation Request Email to Boss Sample: 4 Examples Holiday Request Letter to Manager: 4 Templates Annual Leave Letter: 4 Templates Leave Extension Letter Example: 4 Templates Holiday Request Letter example: 4 Templates Engineer Farewell Letter: 28 templates Leave of Absence Letter Template: 4 Emails Leave Application Confirmation Letter: 4 Templates I'm saving my vacation time until Europe reopens!" My specific plans notwithstanding, my coworker's comments make sense. How does your company handle end-of-year time off requests? Review these examples of letters and emails sent to candidates during the hiring process: Interview Invitation Letters Candidate Rejection Letters Welcome a New or Returning Employee Whether you're making an initial job offer or welcoming an employee back from an extended leave, here are some samples of what you might say. Subject: letter to encourage employees to take vacations. Moreover, vacations can also help employees stay healthy by encouraging them to exercise and eat better habits. to. Encourage Employees to Take a Digital Detox, Remind Employees about the Benefits of Taking Time Off, Make it a Habit to Unplug from Work Often, Show Employees that Work-life Balance is Important, Send Monthly Vacation Balance Reminders to Employees, Have One-on-One Meetings With Employees to Encourage Them to Take Some Time Off, Provide Employees with Tools to Help them Unplug From Work, Set Up an Out-of-office Reply that Promotes Relaxation, Encourage them to Do Something Unproductive, Sample Email to Encourage Employees to Take Annual Leave, Incentives for doing so; i.e., discounts on gift cards, An official no phone zone at work that includes no cell phones or laptops allowed during certain hours of the day, A designated area in the office where people can go when they need some space away from their devices, When you work for a company, you probably know that taking time off is good for your health and well-being. Once downloaded, you can customize the text . Sample employee email to encourage them to get vaccinated . Fewer employees want to take vacations given that the pandemic has severely curtailed travel options. Downloadable (with restrictions)! Some businesses may close down for a week or two at a certain time of the year, and that period is everyone's . **Note to employees who are projected to have annual leave that otherwise would be subject to forfeiture Plus, you want to give them an easy way to book time off, so they dont need to jump through hoops or read the fine print of a complicated leave request policy just to take a holiday. But if you dont use it by the end of the year, [DD/MM/YY], then your time off will reset for the new year. However, while the number of hours worked is soaring, peoples capacity to focus and produce quality work is diving. We've all missed you, and the residents have been anxious for your return. For instance, you can give your employees the tools to help them unplug from work. 3 templates for reminding your employees to take annual leave Template #1: Reminding your employee that the end of the year's approaching and their holiday time doesn't carry over Template #2: Informing your employee that they missed the cut-off for taking their leave (and explaining how your carry-over policy works) Dear [RECIPIENT'S NAME], And if most of your team waits until the end of the year to take their leave, youll struggle to accommodate everyone and end up with an unhappy team, wasted time off, or too much carry-over into the next year. Your session has expired. Create a cafe-like office. 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. Thats what we will discuss next. Instead, encourage your team to take shorter breaks more often an afternoon every week or a full day here and there. One of the best ways for managers to encourage their staff to take time off is by taking PTO themselves. Implement rollover limits. For example, if you are going on vacation next week but want to respond to emails while youre gone, consider using an auto-reply that says something like: I am currently out of the office on vacation until July 1st. Sample Welcome Back Letter From Sick Leave. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM MENA "); (Campaign Monitor,2019) Add an eye-catching subject line and body. Change the Way PTO is Discussed in Your Office. 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. The next big thing to solve is making sure your team has the tools to book their holiday. It is essential for your employees to take time off from work for their sake, as much as yours. } 3. The current crisis is creating more urgency and more work. That is why I would encourage employees to take days off by recommending they spend time with their families. Leave request email template. We think that you truly deserve this paid vacation, and we hope you will consider our effort to appreciate your loyalty to the company and will accept this vacation. How does employee seniority impact PTO benefits? That also means that they're responsible for getting that work done and coordinating with other team members to make that happen. Otherwise, theyll burn out quickly (and possibly quit). hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(131307, '070b3b46-9e86-40d1-85c0-17bd895480dc', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Crafting and following a comprehensive onboarding checklist ensures a consistent, As the cost of living continues to rise around the country, many employeesespecially HR professionals play an indispensable role within an organization. I have been continuously suggesting people use their vacation time so they do not forfeit it at the end of the year and to ensure they are getting downtime. However, when a manager (i.e. Limit vacation day rollovers. This will help ensure that your employees use their paid time off and dont miss out on valuable benefits. Establish firm availability boundaries for yourself and share what you did during your time off. By intentionally taking time off and fully disconnected from work, I signal to others that it's okay to do the same. 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. How can you encourage employees to take vacation days? "It's important for employers to say [to employees], 'We care about you,' " said Jackie Reinberg, North America consulting leader, absence, disability management and life, at London-based Willis Towers Watson. " According to WorldatWork, about $365B of PTO was accrued in 2019 across all companies and organizations in the US. Use the following template to remind employees to check their PTO status before the end of the year: As we approach the end of the year, now is the time to check your PTO status to determine if you need to take any time off before your benefit resets. Its time to make it a habit for your employees to unplug from work often, taking into account their mental well-being. All of my survey participants said it was important to take time off, but many were personally reluctant to unplug. Build a better team and achieve more of what matters. Start your free one-month trial today. Build specialized knowledge and expand your influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. I Am a Self-Taught Marketer with 10 Years of Experience. 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.