We all know people who are modern-day martyrs. Well-intentioned, they sacrifice their own happiness for what they perceive to be the greater good. Of course, what they really create is another unhappy person with whom everyone else must reckon.
In no environment is modern-day martyrdom more acutely apparent than the workplace, as 54 percent of U.S. employees fail to use all the vacation time they have earned. That’s right – more than half your company’s employees are likely to forgo time off because they think it’s expected of them or will help get them ahead.
In reality, where it will get them is burned out, sick, unhappy and unproductive, all of which can undermine your organization’s success.
As TicketsatWork® continues our series with Project: Time Off, we have a mantra for your human resources department to keep in mind: Don’t create martyrs. Create vacation starters.
And speaking of starting, here’s a quick video to help you understand how we became a nation of work martyrs in the first place.
VIDEO: Let’s Unlock America’s Vacation Opportunity
Your boss agrees
So, what’s the difference between a work martyr and an employee who has a strong work ethic? It’s that no one is asking the martyrs to do what they do. Project: Time Off researchers found that 95 percent of senior business leaders and 96 percent of employees recognize the importance of using paid time off. It fosters happiness, productivity, higher retention rates and even helps remove rollover time from the company balance sheet.
Somehow, even though everyone agrees paid vacation time is important, it still goes unused. As the saying goes, what we got here is a failure to communicate.
TicketsatWork’s goal is to bridge that communication gap. As an adviser to your HR department, we’re not here simply to let you know there’s a problem. We’re here to provide solutions.
Here’ a look at our latest findings: Transforming Vacation Culture in the Workplace. This research takes a deeper look at the issue and offers helpful hints and tips for how your management team can improve your company’s vacation culture. We hope it will prove inspirational.
As a reminder, January 30 is National Plan for Vacation Day. It’s the perfect opportunity to communicate to employees the truly destructive nature of being a work martyr.
Whether it’s entry-level or in the C-Suite, everyone benefits when more people become vacation starters. Spread the word.
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