August 10th is celebrated in the US and around the world as Lazy Day, a day for people to take a break from work and spend the day doing absolutely nothing. Contributor Adrian Lewis, Director – Activ Absence
We all know that taking a break from work is good for our health and wellbeing, and Lazy Day is a great excuse to do just that. In fact research from Wolters Kluwer found that after taking a holiday 67 percent of people feel greater job satisfaction and 66 percent feel more productive.
The research also found that 33 percent of us in the UK are not using our yearly holiday allowance so Lazy Day also acts as a reminder to those of us who are working too hard to take some time off and chill out.
Adrian Lewis, director, Activ Absence says, “It’s really important for staff to take time away from the office and come back relaxed and recharged. August is the most popular holiday month with people wanting to enjoy the hot weather, particularly if they can take advantage of the bank holiday Monday for an extended break.
“For employers this means planning ahead to ensure they have sufficient cover and are not left understaffed. The key is to ensure the right systems are in place so HR professionals and line managers have visibility of who is going to be out of the office when. They can then put steps in place to make sure it’s business as usual during the peak summer period.
“Keeping track of employee’s annual leave also means employers can ensure their people benefit from taking their holidays throughout the year.
This will support good employee wellbeing and reduce the risk of them getting sick or feeling burnt out. By monitoring people’s annual leave employers can also ensure holidays are spread out over the year and not left until the last minute, to avoid clashes when everyone wants to take the August bank holiday off!”
