"Another sunny day has come and gone away in Paris or Rome and I wanna go home ......."
As I listened to the dulcet tones of Michael Buble drifting through my iPod the last thing on my mind was wanting to go home.
Sitting in the glorious Majorcan sunshine, looking out over olive groves across a cloudless blue sky to the pine clad mountains in the distance, why would I want to go home!? For one lovely week I was able to escape the persistent rain back home and completely recharge myself. So, now I'm back and ready to start work again with renewed vigour.
It's a fact that we all work better if we are able to escape our normal routine for a while. We all have different ideas about how to spend our leisure time, whether it's trekking in the hills, lazing in the sun, spending time with children / family / friends or just decorating the hall. However you chose to relax, taking time off work is vital to your well-being.
So, to all responsible employers out there, now is the time to check the holiday records of your staff. If some of them haven't had a break for a while, it's time to encourage them to do so. Especially if you have a 'use it or lose it' policy regarding holiday entitlement.
If your staff have a good balance between their work and personal time they will more than likely repay you by being happier, healthier and more productive.
