sample email to encourage employees to take vacation sample email to encourage employees to take vacation

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. Why it's in your interest for staff to take leave. Virtual & Washington, DC | February 26-28, 2023. Of this total, $210B was used and $155B was unused. Note: This is what it looks like when you book a holiday using our mobile app. PTO will be available to exempt and non-exempt employees. David Zaitz/Getty Images. The reply should explain when the employee will be away and for how long, but also include some language that indicates that the employee is taking a break from work and is not available during this time. Weve given you three different templates above for informing someone about the leave theyre about to lose. A subscription purchase is the best way to support the creation of these resources. Learn how SHRM Certification can accelerate your career growth by earning a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. Many HR professionals report that they've struggled with how to address this trend because vacation is such a sensitive topic. For example, women academics are publishing fewer papers, presumably because of their disproportionate responsibility at home. **Note to employees who are projected to have annual leave that otherwise would be subject to forfeiture Wed like to avoid you losing your hard-earned time off. 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. Team members of some of my clients try things theyve never done, just to infuse novelty such as sketching or singing. Please log in as a SHRM member before saving bookmarks. If you miss the odd day, the world won't implode, but if people don't know you're away for a few weeks and they don't know exactly when you'll be back, or who they can contact in your place, you're going to have some unhappy clients or customers. If there is a negative narrative presented from either HR or management, employees will be fearful of requesting any time off. Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. Tip#3: Be sure to use the word "because" when explaining your reasons. How Companies Can Encourage Employees to Use Their Vacation Time. 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! Ask team members where they can share responsibilities and cover for each other so they can rotate times off without stopping work. What Is the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). With varying demands for inter-generational care and self-care, encourage your employees to take the time they need to balance competing priorities. People will be scared and caring about their health and source of income. If you're like most Americans, it's likely been a while, as 55% of workers don't use all their paid time off. I am reaching out because the recruitment department needs your help! Find the latest news and members-only resources that can help employers navigate in an uncertain economy. Format #1. HBR Learnings online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Team Management. temp_style.textContent = '.ms-rtestate-field > p:first-child.is-empty.d-none, .ms-rtestate-field > .fltter .is-empty.d-none, .ZWSC-cleaned.is-empty.d-none {display:block !important;}'; If this is the case, HR should consider the following questions when auditing their time-off policy: To learn more about communicating these updates, use the template inthis BerniePortal resource. Take a moment to think about what makes your employees happyit could be anything from playing with their dog or cat, reading a book, watching their favorite movie, or listening to music. First, provide clarity about your time-off policy and any company, government, or health official guidelines and restrictions. use up to four hours of administrative leave time, or your sick time. $(document).ready(function () { We would be very happy to give some of the savings we achieve in reduced electricity costs back to you. Pay attention to your email's header and the design of its body . Managers might also consider reducing the number of meetings around the holidays, or making Mondays and Fridays meeting-free days from Thanksgiving until the end of the year to encourage employees to extend their weekends. Please confirm that you want to proceed with deleting bookmark. 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. 4. How does employee seniority impact PTO benefits? This helps reduce the risk of burnout, and it helps reduce any stress your team may feel as the year comes to a close and everyone on your staff is trying not to lose their holiday time. Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? 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. Note that due to the busy nature of this time of year, some requests may not be approved, depending on availability and workload. Various studies show that the current environment is taking a toll on employees' mental health and fueling workers' reticence about taking time off. This leave can make you more motivated and help you perform more effectively. The first step to dismissing any negative perceptions about taking time off is to reassure your employees that their jobs are safe. 1. 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. $('.container-footer').first().hide(); Thats why its a good idea to keep your team updated on how much leave they have and the last time they took a break. To all employees: COVID-19 is unpredictable. SHRM Employment Law & Compliance Conference, Heres How to Encourage Employees to Take PTO, New OSHA Guidance Clarifies Return-to-Work Expectations, Trump Suspends New H-1B Visas Through 2020, Faking COVID-19 Illness Can Have Serious Consequences, Report: Managers Have Bigger Impact on Employee Mental Health than Therapists, How to Handle Overtime, Meal Break and Other Wage and Hour Crises. Teams are feeling . Organizations that utilize a use it or lose it PTO approach may find HR overwhelmed by this careful balancing act during the holiday season. It's also important to clearly indicate who approves someone's holiday requests. We set very clear performance metrics with our employees and allow them flexibility in accomplishing those goals. document.head.append(temp_style); You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. }); if($('.container-footer').length > 1){ You might need to provide extra flexibility. 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. For instance, you can declare a day off for the entire organization: One of my clients, analytics company, Sisense, has scheduled a monthly company-sponsored, company-wide self-care day, where nobody works. document.head.append(temp_style); You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Fewer employees want to take vacations given that the pandemic has severely curtailed travel options. 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. Dear Dean, Welcome back! 2. Now that there is a boundary, people want to take time off, she explained. Your session has expired. This approach is common for groups with regularly recurring busy periods, like sales teams that are expected to close in Q4. It doesn't have to be outside their home, where they can get infected, but within the boundaries of their home where they can bond with one another. Here are 12 ways you can proactively encourage employees to take time off work: Contents hide 1 Encourage Employees to Take a Digital Detox 2 Remind Employees about the Benefits of Taking Time Off 3 Do What You Preach 4 Make it a Habit to Unplug from Work Often 5 Create Company Holidays 6 Show Employees that Work-life Balance is Important That said, human resources personnel should also communicate regular reminders to employees about making the most of their PTO throughout the year. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. You should also include any rules on how many people from a team/the organisation can be away simultaneously. Encourage employees to walk out of the office, turn off their cell phones, shut down the computer, focus on just themselves for at least a couple of hours and simply ask them to enjoy your time. By intentionally taking time off and fully disconnected from work, I signal to others that it's okay to do the same. Some of the best human resource policies and practices are implemented accordingly as the workforce are aware how these can help them have a better work . I will be back at work on [DATE]. Start your free one-month trial today. } 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. 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. If you're in HR, use this email template to communicate to your staff regarding coronavirus and flu prevention. var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); Template: Check PTO Status HR Reminder They will follow suit if they see that you put in your fair share of hours at work. Though annual leave is part of the compulsory benefits of a regular employee, it is always a good gesture when you planned it ahead of time and inform you immediate superior about it.These are the things that you need to consider before writing the letter: 1. Build specialized knowledge and expand your influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. Brett is a #SHRM22Influencers and has also been a keynote speaker at several state SHRM conferences around the topic of employee engagement. 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. To get all of HBRs content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter. Address and ease their fears of taking time off. ". That is why I would encourage employees to take days off by recommending they spend time with their families. What Is a Dependent Care FSA and How Does It Work? Learn how SHRM Certification can accelerate your career growth by earning a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. If it has been awhile since you took a vacation, start planning your time off. Let them know that vacation can improve their relationships at work, as well as their productivity and morale. Overworked employees are unhappy, do not engage and do not contribute to a productive office environment. We really want our employees to take their leave its yours to take and we hope you enjoy it. But do your employees? For example, include information about the notice required in advance of a holiday and how much notice is required to refuse a holiday request. As a leader or HR professional, navigating how to go about asking employees to use their paid-time-off during these times can be a challenging task. Smith speculated that employees didn't see the point in taking time off when they were working from home just to stay at home. (Campaign Monitor,2019) 3. A vacation leave letter is a written request from employees to their company asking for approval for time off. Have a Clear Employee Vacation Policy First, make sure your employee vacation policy is clearly outlined. To recap, here's how to ask for time off: Tip#1: Send a vacation request email weeks in advance. 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]. Sample Welcome Back Letter From Sick Leave. When the economy is unstable, employers are faced with difficult decisions around staffing, pay and benefits. Below is a vacation request email sample for medical reasons: Subject: Medical leave application Dear (Manager's name), I'm writing this letter to request vacation leave from Tuesday (December 15th) through Thursday (December 24th). "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. " 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. From dress code to time off, my team follows the tone set by the leader. Instead, you can rely on Timetastic a staff leave software that keeps you updated on who needs time off and gives your team an easy way to book their holidays. Annual allotment vs. accrual bank vs. unlimited? Meanwhile, vacation requests fell roughly 50 percent during the initial months of the pandemic. Employees often postpone PTO because they worry about who will take up the slack while they are out, said LauraHandrick, a contributing HR professional at Choosing Therapy, a Brooklyn-based website that helps educate the public about the benefits of therapy. Harvards Leslie Perlow showed how consultants at Boston Consulting Group made significant progress in job satisfaction, work-life balance, and collaboration and effectiveness by taking predictable time off from their cell phones while ensuring that their work is covered by a fellow team member during that time. On A Mission to Help Small Businesses to Be a Brand. We need to refuel early and often. Make sure your message is clear. 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. We have noticed that you have been working tirelessly for a long time without taking any type of leaves. It's considered best practice for companies to make their PTO policies easily accessible for all employees, ideally in a comprehensive Culture Guide. Employees should clearly understand your organization's vacation policy. This allows HR to properly plan work schedules and project deadlines around planned employee absences. Review. For our reps, we've developed a simple algorithm for encouraging them to take vacation days and PTO. It gives them space to refresh, a chance to reflect on their own personal growth and health, and helps them come back with renewed energy and focus. When the economy is unstable, employers are faced with difficult decisions around staffing, pay and benefits. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM MENA "); Here are five ways to encourage your employees to take a holiday leave: 1. It contributes to a great company culture. Review this collection of common PTO questions and answers or watch the embedded HR Party of One video below to prepare accordingly. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM China "); "Then you know what they have planned, and you can encourage them to follow up on it and take the time off.". We live in Virginia and many drives that are beautiful. to. Download Employee Mandatory Vaccination Policy Letter Template. Taking time off is something many people will avoid when job security is at the forefront of someones mind. This is an easy way to help your employees unplug, refocus, and enjoy themselves. The company sent employees reminders to start planning their vacation schedules, with few responses. Down time is likely to be devoted to supporting good mental health rather than recreation or travel. Leaders can show employees they value this by taking time off themselves. For example, one of my direct reports said she was not going to use her vacation as she did not have any plans. 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. Limit vacation day rollovers. 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. Given below is a leave memo sample. The next big thing to solve is making sure your team has the tools to book their holiday. However, in the retail industry, the final two months of every year are almost always the busiest. 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!).