Give ‘em a break! How to balance annual leave and keep burnout at bay

Did you know six in 10 people didn’t take their full annual leave entitlement last year? That’s a lot of employees not getting the time off they’re legally entitled to. On top of that, more than 90% of people say work is their biggest stressor.

Being an HR software company, we’re well aware that everyone has different holiday habits. We even release an annual report on employee holiday, absence, sickness, and lateness trends to help businesses plan ahead, which you can download here.

But when it comes to booking time off, it’s tough to get the balance right with your team.

So, let’s talk about the top three common personality types you’ll notice when it comes to taking annual leave…

1. Holiday hoarders: If you’ve been in the biz for a few years, you’ll likely have met this type of holiday-er. These holiday-hoarding employees wait till the very end of the year before they book time off, often missing out on their full entitlement which can lead to a nasty bout of burnout. And beware, if these employees decide to leave your business halfway through the year, it can cost you a chunk of their notice period or pay in lieu.
2. Refresh rushers: These employees rush to book holidays as soon as their entitlement refreshes, which is great! But if they end up taking all their holiday at once it can lead to burnout further down the line when those holidays inevitably run dry…
3. Crowd followers: You know the type, the ones who book their holidays exactly when you expect them to. This also means they book their annual leave at peak times when everyone books time off, leaving you understaffed during busy periods like summer or Christmas and your employees who are in, overworked and stressed out.

While these are all perfectly acceptable ways to take a break, it can mean, if you don’t have a clear view of your team’s remaining leave balance, you’re leaving yourself open for holiday havoc down the line.

Including staff on the brink of burnout, not having enough staff available to work during key periods, and a whole lot of annual leave that goes to waste.

So, what are the benefits of encouraging healthy attitudes towards annual leave in your team?

Encouraging annual leave in your team may feel like the last thing you want to do when you’re under pressure to meet deadlines.

But keeping your team happy, engaged, and refreshedis in everyone’s best interest and it helps keep burnout, stress, and attrition rates at bay.

When your employees take a break, they’ll return to work with renewed energy and focus on their job, and you’ll see productivity soar. Also, relaxed team members are less stressed out, meaning they’re far less likely to take sick days— and you’re more likely to keep them engaged for longer, reducing the costs of employee turnover.

Having a tool that helps you keep track of your team's remaining leave balance is a great way to reduce burnout, boost wellbeing, and keep productivity high.

So how does BrightHR’s remaining leave balance tool work?

Well, with BrightHR software you get access to a time-saving staff holiday planner plus an annual leave balance calculator. In one click, you can:

• View your entire team’s holiday allowance and current balance
• Check the remaining amount of leave they have left as a percentage
• See how many months they have left before the leave year ends

That way you can make sure your teams are spreading their annual leave evenly throughout the year and aren’t at risk of burnout!

Interested in seeing our award-winning staff holiday planner and annual leave balance tool in action?

Book a commitment-free software demo with one of our friendly software experts today.