Risk & Business Magazine CEO/CFO Business Today Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 28

VACATIONS, UNPLUGGING AND BIOPHILIC DESIGN
Vacations, Unplugging,
And Biophilic Design
W
ith the unemployment rate at a record low level,
employers are struggling to find and keep a
talented workforce with a strong work ethic. At
the same time, employees are pulled in different
directions by technological advances that help
them accomplish tasks quickly and easily, but at the same time raise
expectations of productivity and the need to immediately respond
and stay connected that can lead to high levels of stress.
How can businesses help employees to be healthier, happier, and
more productive?
ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO TAKE VACATIONS
The US Travel Association’s Project Time Off found that beginning in
the 1990s, Americans began to use increasingly less vacation time. By
2017, 52 percent of employees left 705 million vacation days unused.
And 212 million of those days were forfeited. Only 38 percent of
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employees thought that company culture encouraged using PTO days.
Studies show that employees who use vacation time to disconnect
from the office are happier, less stressed, and have better
performance reviews than those who don’t. Vacationers are more
likely to enjoy new experiences and spend time connecting with
family and friends, which contributes to well-being. Recognizing
this, some businesses have started to mandate that employees take
their vacation days.
ASSESS COMPANY ATTITUDES ABOUT UNPLUGGING
GfK researched American workers in 2017 and found that only
27 percent of those surveyed would unplug from their workplace
while on vacation. Seventy-eight percent said they were more
comfortable taking vacation if they could stay connected while
out, and they were more likely to leave vacation days unused.
While 54 percent of employees thought their company culture