Canadian HR Reporter

Canadian HR RepoRteR March 9, 2015 10 FeAtures/News NiagaraInstitute.com conferenceboard.ca Tools for Leadership Success Niagara Institute Leadership Training • Publications • Webinars Benefits Out of office is on Your employees need a vacation – here's how to get them out the door By Beverly Beuermann-King c anadians view vacations as medicine for the body, mind and soul — but nearly one in five do not take all the vacation days they are entitled to and 59 per cent feel vacation-deprived, according to an international survey by expe- dia. if your company rates simi- lar to those statistics, it could be in trouble. It may be easy to fall into the trap of thinking employees who don't use up their allotted time are cost- ing the company less. However, employees who don't use all of their vacation are probably cost- ing the company more in the long run. ey may experience more stress-related symptoms such as mood swings, racing thoughts, frustration, irritability, pessimism, feeling rushed, pushed or tired, more headaches, sleep difficulties and gastrointestinal disorders. Overworked and vacation- deprived employees may not communicate as effectively, have less patience for those around them, may not problem-solve as efficiently and not be as creative or energized as those who do take their allotted vacation time. Excessive hours spent on the job without adequate breaks away can negatively impact a per- son's mental and physical health and mean less quality time with friends and loved ones. is can lead to lower engage- ment and productivity through increased sick time, accident rates, burnout and benefit costs. We know vacations are good for us — 93 per cent of respondents to the Expedia survey said they felt more relaxed and rejuvenated after a vacation, and 78 per cent reported being more focused at work. Women who take regular va- cations are less likely to become tense, depressed or tired and are more satisfied with their mar- riage than their non-vacationing counterparts. Even those in the planning phase of a vacation had higher happiness scores than those not going away, which the re- searchers said was due to holiday anticipation. It is becoming increasingly difficult for employees to break away and enjoy a real vacation. Work demands often play a role in not using all of one's vacation time — almost 40 per cent say they have cancelled or postponed vacation plans because of work, and 38 per cent say they regularly or constantly check work email or voicemail while on vacation, found the Expedia survey. To truly benefit from vacation time, it is important that employ- ees use all of their allotted time. For most individuals, taking a day here or there is not enough to fully relieve built-up stress. Workers need to set up specific periods devoted to relaxation, to release accumulated tension and return to work recharged and ready to go. The ideal length of time for a major vacation is seven to 10 days. It generally takes three to four days for your body to revert to its ideal sleeping pattern and energy cycle. Most people feel ready to re- turn to work refreshed and reju- venated after this seven- to 10- day period. Long weekends are great as a way to supplement a major vaca- tion throughout the year. How- ever, if a person has not had a va- cation in the last five years, a long weekend is not going to provide him with much benefit. HR should examine patterns It may not be the employee that is the problem — some leaders make it very difficult for people to take time off. ere are leaders who see vacation time as a nuisance and a disruption to the productivity of the group. They are working under the false belief that more in always equals more out. Unfortunately, our bodies and minds can only work at peak efficiency for so long before they start to break down and shut down. Human resources professionals need to evaluate the vacation us- age within their corporate teams to see if there are individuals who may be on the verge of burnout. ey also need to look for patterns that indicate some leaders are hin- dering the use of vacation time. When it comes to attraction and retention, companies that go with the bare minimum number of vacation days will be left behind as younger workers comparison shop. Work-life satisfaction is a critical component when decid- ing which job is the right job, and which employer is the right employer. Human resources profession- als can assist employees in using their allotted time by encourag- ing them to book time early in the year — before projects and dead- lines derail their planned time away. It is also important to work with team leaders to monitor the mental health and stress levels within a team. Promoting a philosophy around corporate wellness and its importance for corporate suc- cess to these team leaders can help them foster an environment where using vacation time is seen as a positive. Encourage leaders to work with their teams on ensuring a smooth transition to vacation time, mini- mizing disruptions and contact with the workplace while on va- cation, and a stress-free return to work from vacation. Communication is important at all stages and human resources professionals are in a key posi- tion to promote these healthy discussions. Focus on wellness In a day and age when dollars are tight and new wellness programs are difficult to initiate, we need to look at the programs in place to see if they are effective and efficient. As employers, we have a re- sponsibility to ensure the work environment promotes health and not illness. Vacation benefits are a part of most corporate wellness pro- grams. Vacation usage and the ability to disconnect during vaca- tion time need to be evaluated, as they can be early indicators of individual and team difficulties, which may negatively impact the corporate culture. Vacation usage needs to be promoted to ensure employees see the company as caring about their well-being. is can help to ensure the company is an employ- er of choice. Having physically and mentally healthy employees who are not vacation-deprived will positively impact your bottom line. Beverly Beuermann-King is a health and wellness expert and author who is often used as an expert commenta- tor in national publications. For more information, visit www.worksmart- livesmart.com. Credit: AceShot1/Shutterstock Vacationers relax on the sand in Virginia Beach, Va. Too many Canadians aren't taking all their vacation time, which can lead to increased stress and productivity issues in the workplace. is not appropriate management," she said. Mental health is also quite challenging because there is still a widespread lack of understanding about the issue. "I still think there needs to be a ton of work around mental health," she said. "Anything that happens in your personal life will tend to impact your workplace as well. And there needs to be far more acknowledge- ment, and far more understanding about it, and maybe training could be a big part of that. But I think that as we go forward, it's going to be more and more prevalent. And I think people are going to have to have a clearer understanding of what it's all about — and not just blanket generalizations." Challenges, opportunities for HR e HRPA survey also addressed the most significant challenges and opportunities for senior human resources leaders. One area that's both a challenge and an opportunity is around strategy and getting HR a seat at the table, said Price. "Everyone talks about the HR business partner and the model and how HR aligns with the busi- ness. However, there are very few businesses that actually work that way and, in fairness, there's very few HR professionals who actually can align to the business and have that skill set. "And I think that HR profes- sional getting the credibility that they deserve and need to have to sit at the table is one of the big- gest challenges — and HR chang- ing their mindset because it's not that traditional role anymore," she said. "e biggest issue for HR is be- ing at the table and reporting to the CEO to be able to implement all those things they can do to help the business. And I think that's still a big issue where HR doesn't report directly to the CEO in a lot of organizations." Effectively dealing with boards is a related issue, said Coleman. "As a senior HR person, (you need) to understand the com- plexities of boards that actually oversee all of our organizations… to understand the responsibilities that boards have, as well as how can I support them in achieving them?" she said. Still, some HR professionals are hesitant to tackle the high-level strategic pieces of the job, said Fernandez. "What I have found is that peo- ple are really afraid of the strategic component when, in actual fact, when you look at whether it be a 12-month or a 36-month busi- ness plan, it's 'What are the people resources and activities that we need to really be successful in that plan?'" she said. "It really is about planning." e HRPA Toronto Chapter Senior Leadership Engagement Committee will be holding an invitation-only event on ursday, May 14 in down- town Toronto featuring Michael Hyatt, a CBC dragon and entrepre- neur. For more information, contact events@hrpatoronto.ca. Dealing with boards an issue survey < pg. 2

• Cover