Request a call Login

  • Paid time off (PTO) is a powerful tool to help employees stay refreshed and motivated. Unfortunately, the prospect of falling behind on projects or being hit by a deluge of missed emails can be more terrifying than a prolonged visit with your in-laws.

    Employees shouldn’t be afraid to take PTO, whether it’s due to potential workplace stress or a fear to take time off. Here are three ways that your business can make vacations less stressful for employees.

    Image of a frustrated employee. Help releive stress with open PTO policies for your workplace.

    Make it Known that Vacations are Good

    Refreshed, focused employees are more productive than burnt-out workers. The occasional vacation gives employees a chance to recharge their proverbial batteries, but American workers don’t always take advantage of this benefit. However, not all employees feel comfortable using their PTO.

    A survey from Project: Time Off shows that over half of American workers had unused vacation days last year. That same survey reported that 22 percent of people felt that using their vacation time made them seem replaceable. Nervous, overworked employees aren’t going to be able to give you their best. Make sure that you have a very clear, open policy about taking time off and encourage workers to use their PTO days. That way your employees won’t be too worried to take a well-deserved break.

    Vacation Preparation Time

    Even if employees aren’t worried about asking to use vacation time, they might be afraid of what will happen if they leave for a week. Roughly 37 percent of employees are afraid that nobody will do their work while they’re away on vacation. Another 30 percent are concerned that nobody else could do their job.

    Proper vacation planning can help mitigate these fears and set your business up for success. Help employees decide which tasks can be handled by other employees while they’re gone. Set up a direct backup employee who can answer questions while an employee is gone. It’s also good to block off some time so that a vacationing employee can catch up on everything instead of rushing straight back to their regular work.

    Protect Your Business from Problematic Vacation Requests

    Vacations can cause problems for business owners as well. An impromptu mental health day here and there isn’t a big deal, but last-minute vacation requests can mess up work flows and deadlines. 

    A good PTO policy should set guidelines for how far in advance employees need to request time off. This will help protect your business from sudden departures and give employees fair notice why you have to turn down a request without ample notice.

    Have a PTO Policy in Place

    Employees get a set amount of PTO days for a reason. Group Management Services can help your business set up a clear PTO policy that will keep track of used PTO days and streamline vacation requests. Contact GMS today about employee benefits administration and how a PTO policy will make your vacation process a lot less stressful.

  • Vacations are an important tool to help employees take some time off and recharge every once in a while. However, improper planning and coordination before a vacation can leave employees and their employers in a difficult situation.

    Without the right steps, a vacationing employee can lead to missing deadlines, confused customers or clients, and stressed out workers if you don’t take the right steps to prepare for someone’s absence. Here are four things your employees should do before they head out on a well-earned vacation.

    Image of an employee on vacation. Manage PTO requests with the help of a PEO.

    Let People Know

    People shouldn’t be surprised than an employee is gone. Make sure that your company knows that someone will be gone so that they can get what they need from him or her before they leave. There are also plenty of people outside of the company that may need to be informed as well.

    Employees should set up autoreply email messages and voicemails to let people know that they’re away and who to contact during their absence. Higher priority customers or other outside parties can be told a week or two in advance.

    Prioritize Important Tasks

    Depending on the employee, there may be certain tasks that can’t be done by other workers. Make sure that your employee prioritizes these tasks if they need to be done before he or she leaves. That way you don’t have to worry about them while your employee is gone.

    Delegate Other Duties That Can’t Wait

    According to a 2014 study, 41 percent of American workers don’t actually plan on using their vacation days. Why, you ask? The most common reason is that employees are afraid of dealing with all of the work that wasn’t handled while they were away. 

    Make the return to work easier on your employee by having some other people pick up some of the slack. That will help them get back into a regular work flow without feeling like they need another vacation after dealing with a mountain of work after their vacation.

    Set Communication Rules

    Employees should try to stay offline during vacations, but you may need to reach out to them in case of emergency. Set rules for communication to make sure there are guidelines.

    If an employee is completely off limits, make sure they let people know. Other employees may actively check emails or accept calls. If that’s the case, let them set guidelines for how and when they can be reached. That way you can minimize interruptions in their vacation.

    Enjoy Their Vacation

    Once an employee has prepared for vacation, they can go ahead and relax. Of course, vacation time can be tricky without having a solid PTO plan set in place. If you need to set up a PTO process for your business, contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about how our HR management services can help.