Research by WorkScore shows that employees who take their annual leave are more productive, less stressed and happier than those who don’t take their leave.
Reviewing the scores of over 250 employees:
- 1 in 5 employees have not taken annual leave in the last 12 months
- 40% feel that their workplace does not encourage staff to take annual leave benefits; and
- 45% felt either guilty or anxious before taking leave.
WorkScore asked employees to rate their productivity when at work and found that those who rated below average also felt more anxious and guilty prior to taking leave, and 50% of this group checked work emails regularly (most days) when on leave. Whilst those employees that rated above average for productivity felt less anxious and guilty prior to taking leave and only 30% checked in regularly, giving them a chance to switch off from work and relax. This group also rated that their workplace actively encourages them to take their leave benefits which is a win – win for both business and employee.
Suzanne Deeming co – founder of WorkScore states “the good news is that employees are recognizing that taking annual leave is a way to improve wellbeing and reduce burnout”. The WorkScore survey found that employees site preventing “burn out”, exhaustion or stress, improving personal health/wellness and better work life balance as the main reasons they take their leave.
However, companies aren’t as quick to recognize the need as a staggering 40% of employees rated that work does not encourage leave.
Suzanne Deeming co-founder states “encouraging employees to take their full annual leave entitlement should become a business priority as it improves employee productivity, morale and reduces stress. Workplaces should also discourage employees from working whilst on leave and allow them to fully switch off from work.
Actively championing the sentiment of life, in a Kahlua survey of millennials, over 90% said it’s important to live in the moment, while more than half have missed an important moment because they were trying to capture it for their social media chanels. The irony!
The Zero Likes Given exhibition by Kahlua, hosted by ‘Orange is the new Black’ actress Jackie Cruz, calls on people to remember what real life is about and to enjoy life in the moment. The initiatives hopes to liberate as an opportunity to brush up on skills that involve genuine human connection by substituting their virtual sense of selves and appreciating real life moments.
