Canadian HR Reporter

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Price subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. Visit carswell.com or call 1.800.387.5164 for a 30-day no-risk evaluation Perfectbound Published December each year On subscription $77 One time purchase $80 L88804-677 Multiple copy discounts available. Plus applicable taxes and shipping & handling. (prices subject to change without notice) BenefitS Taking time off Employees should be encouraged to take their allotted vacation, decompress By Sean Shannon V acation deprivation — not having enough vaca- tion time or not using some or all of your vacation al- lotment — is on the rise among canadians. In fact, 48 per cent report feeling somewhat or very vacation-deprived, according to a 2014 study by expedia. is is up from 40 per cent last year — and it continues to rise. Each year, Canadians tell us loud and clear they are vacation-de- prived. And while most employ- ees are given, on average, two to three weeks of vacation time, there appears to be a gap between having vacation time and actually taking all of it. Furthermore, work often inter- feres with vacations for those who do take time away. Nearly four in 10 respondents (37 per cent) have cancelled or postponed vaca- tion plans because of work, even though most Canadians (72 per cent) say their boss is supportive of them taking vacation time (this number declined from 80 per cent in last year's survey). When Canadians do take a va- cation, disconnecting from the office is still a difficult task. ir- ty-eight per cent of respondents will regularly, or even constantly, check work email or voicemail — a significant jump from last year's 27 per cent. Bringing your phone — or even worse, your laptop — on vacation makes it harder to fully unplug, unwind and relax. Why it's an issue Almost 80 per cent of respon- dents to the survey of 1,001 adults report feeling mentally or physi- cally tired and stressed out due to lack of vacation, most likely affect- ing their workplace productivity. While work may seem like a priority and vacation a luxury, vacations are an integral part of maintaining physical and men- tal health. Even a short vacation can help relieve stress, increase overall happiness and strengthen relationships. "We really feel the physical and mental benefits of even a brief getaway," said David Posen, stress specialist and author of Is Work Killing You? "Vacations can lower blood pressure and ease stress and tension in the body. "ey give us the time to recon- nect with spouses, partners, fam- ily members and friends and we return to work rejuvenated and with the ability to maintain focus — and all of that translates into stronger feelings of well-being. Vacations are a prescription for health, stress relief, more energy, improved productivity and overall happiness." Not surprisingly, the post-va- cation numbers shift drastically. Ninety-three per cent of Canadi- ans reported feeling relaxed and rejuvenated after their time away, while 87 per cent felt closer to their partners and family. Also noteworthy is that 78 per cent of respondents felt more focused at work — a benefit for their employers as well. How to encourage vacations As HR professionals, there are a number of ways to encourage employees to take much-needed vacation time: •send reminders: Sometimes, responsibilities at work get in the way and employees need to be reminded they still have vaca- tion time available. Sending sim- ple reminders to those who may have forgotten is an easy way to encourage time off from work. •encourage email- and phone- free vacations: Encouraging of- fline vacations will allow workers to feel guilt-free while away. An environment where employ- ees feel rested and rejuvenated relates to more focused work and job satisfaction upon their return. •lead by example: Company culture is important. Creating an environment where all employ- ees feel comfortable taking time off will ensure they use their well- deserved vacation. at means managers should also "walk the talk" and use up their vaca- tion allotment as an example to employees. Sean Shannon is managing director of Expedia Canada. For more informa- tion, visit www.expedia.ca. Toronto saw a new diagnosis in 35 per cent of the patients seen, including 164 cases of cancer, 632 cases of cardiovascular disease and 191 cases of diabetes. Catching such maladies early can allow time for preparation for the recovery period and, in some cases, can avoid a long recovery altogether. Consider the costs of long-term disability, which will af- fect one in 110 employees annual- ly and cost the organization about $17,500 per case. In a 110-person company, between 10 and 18 employees will go on short-term disability in any single year, not to mention the costs represented by absenteeism and presenteeism due to illness or chronic health conditions. How to get started Like all fee-for-service products, not all private clinics in Canada are created equally. When evalu- ating which clinic will be best for a health-risk assessment, it is important to do your home- work and ask the right questions, including: •How many physicians are on onsite? •How does the referral process work? •Are all test results ready the same day? •What type of equipment is avail- able on the day of visit? •Will an assessment require mul- tiple visits? It is also worth considering what tools the clinic offers in the way of aftercare. And once you decide to make changes, is the clinic able to support these steps? When looking to incorporate the health-risk assessment into a company's benefits package, the key hurdle is the cost. Small in comparison to total compensa- tion, it is still an investment over and above the cost of other health benefits. Some companies simply pay the assessment's direct cost. Oth- ers turn the assessment into a non-taxable benefit that still al- lows the employer to deduct the cost as a business expense. To do that, a company can make the health-risk assessment available through a health-care spending account or a cost-plus medical reimbursement plan. A newer, more egalitarian ben- efit trend involves providing the assessment to all employees as an incentive tied to certain bench- marks, perhaps after five years of service or achieving certain sales goals. It's up to HR to assess the cost-effective ways to incorporate the benefit into their talent acqui- sition and overall talent strategy. Companies routinely plan for risk; some companies even have chief risk officers. Implementing a health-risk assessment for key personnel makes sense and, in the end, may even save a life. Yolanda Billinkoff is vice-president of sales and account management at the Medcan Clinic in Toronto. She can be reached at yolandabillinkoff@ medcan.com or for more information, visit www.medcan.com. eAP < pg. 14 Screening may save lives "We really feel the physical and mental benefits of even a brief getaway." Credit: De Visu/Shutterstock

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