As I sat content in my second week of vacation with my family surrounding me at the Disneyland Resort, I couldn’t help but think, “I love my job.”
At Social High Rise, we have certain perks you won’t find at most companies in America. According to the Department of Labor Statistics, full-time U.S. employees earn on average 10 vacation days after a year of service. For a whole ten days out of the year you could visit…oh wait, only 40% of Americans actually take those paid vacation days because they are too “stressed out and afraid” to even bother with vacation.
Being too stressed out or afraid to take time off does not benefit the employer or employee in the long run. When I got the role as Account Manager at Social High Rise, I could barely believe my ears when I heard the words, “unlimited, paid vacation.” It may sound outlandish to some, but here are three reasons why it’s mutually beneficial for companies and their employees to enjoy unlimited, paid vacation:
1. It Promotes Employee Loyalty to the Company
Not only is paid vacation time beneficial to the employees, but it’s a No Brainer for employers. Offering unlimited paid vacation creates a better sense of trust between employee and employer right from the get-go. Being on the receiving end of generous vacation privileges means pulling your weight to prepare for your time off and working extra hard during your days at the office. Social High Rise has an excellent system in place for when someone goes on vacation. The fear of leaving hardly visits me during a holiday thanks to my rockstar coworkers that are willing and able to pick-up any additional work that comes through for me while I’m out of office. We depend on each other as a team and have a work environment that promotes transparency, which means we don’t take advantage of the privileges of generous vacation time. More importantly, we don’t we feel guilty for taking a break. With the right kind of work culture in place, trust and loyalty will work hand in hand and yield great results.
2. It Encourages Creativity and Fresh Ideas
Going long periods without a break absolutely stifles creativity. When you’re sitting in an office day in and day out working diligently on daily tasks and projects to grow a company, it’s easy to start to loose inspiration and clarity. When I was on vacation, I felt refreshed with new ideas for brand posts and content once I came back. Plus, Studies say that people who travel are more creative than those who don’t. No matter what industry you’re in, creative ideas and useful suggestions are beneficial across the board. This is especially true in a startup environment. That destination you’ve been longing to visit might be your next step to a creative breakthrough!
3. It Reduces Employee “Burn-Out”
The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked and benefits are matters of agreement between an employer and an employee. When an employer does not offer their employees reasonable vacation time it can result in an overworked, over-stressed and generally exhausted workplace. Kissmetrics elaborates that burnt out employees have lower job productivity, reduced commitment to tasks, and bring an increase in workplace conflicts. Who wants that? Going on holiday gives your brain a chance to generate new ideas and leads to an increase in energy back at the job. Not only that, but it can also reduce the risk of heart disease, stress, depression and even contribute to a better night’s sleep! If you’re not yet convinced, Helen at Health Ambition outlines the benefits of rest days with some fantastic ideas to energize yourself.
You might think, “Okay, well, this strategy only works for a small, social media company that has the bulk of its projects centered online.” Part of this is true. A company certainly has to have the right culture and dedicated employees to make this policy work. But if a company as big as Netflix can make it work, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate if offering unlimited paid vacation is the right move for your company.
What’s your place of work’s current vacation policy? Has your company ever toyed with the idea of “unlimited vacation”?
Did you know?
We've been managing social media accounts for restaurants since 2012. For almost a decade, we've partnered with restauranteurs who are serious about using social media to generate business. Whether you're a good fit for our service or not, let's schedule a call and we'll give you free personalized advice on how to improve your social media presence. Either way, you'll walk away from the call more confident about your ability to promote yourself online - completely for free.
