Increasing work commitments mean that 40% of managers do not take up their full holiday allowance, according to research conducted by the Chartered Management Institute.
The survey of 1300 managers found that one in ten even “sell” excess holiday time as part of flexible benefits packages.
A seperate survey by youatwork, the employee benefits specialist, found that while a third of workers questioned believe they have a better balance between their work and personal lives during the Summer compared to the Winter, a fifth of workers feel they would be more motivated if only they could improve their work-life balance.
Gerry Callaghan, Managing Director of youatwork suggests that employers adopt some of the following practices to create a good work-life balance in their workplace during the Summer:
1. Let your staff leave early on Fridays during the Summer to take advantage of the good weather.
2. Take a more flexible approach to working hours. For example, if an employee wants to finish early on any given day to pursue interests or responsibilities outside the workplace, let them do so but ensure they make up the time on another day.
3. Offer term-time working to mums with young children, so they can enjoy the holidays with their children without having to worry about childcare.
4. Make sure that when staff go on holidays, they don’t leave the rest of your employees overstretched.
5. Let your employees work from home one day a week to avoid the hassle of commuting.
6. Surprise your staff by offering them free ice creams. After all, it’s often the smaller perks that count when it comes to employee loyalty.
