photo credit: Thinkstock
Founder and chairman of Virgin Group Richard Branson has announced today private staff will be able to take as much holiday as desired, believing this will result in an increase of productivity.
With stress as a leading factor to work inefficiency, everyone needs a day off once in a while to re-energize, gain perspective and boost creativity. When most employees are clocked in nine to five everyday, tasks and responsibilities can easily become tiresome and essentially feel like a nagging chore. With self assigned work and vacation hours, employees have the chance to be their own boss, and the power of self-motivation should never be underestimated.
But what are the upsides of this for an employer?
Wouldn’t employees just begin to work less and thus cause inefficiency?
Well, maybe. But trends over time could be very useful for employers. If staff is rarely taking vacations, the company may be overworked and understaffed. But if all staff is continuously taking vacation days, this could be a good sign the company is overstaffed.
Most companies currently still use the conventional office system, but in the near future many more companies could test this non-policy Branson and companies like Netflix have already embraced. If clear guidelines are imposed, employees should be able to recognize this does not condone a free-for all policy, and companies will then very likely see an increase in overall productivity.
Read more about the story here.
References:
Weiss, Geoff. “Richard Branson Announces Unlimited Vacation Policy for Virgin Staffers.” Entrepreneur. 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. <http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237783>.
Hamlett, Christina. “How Stress Affects Your Work Performance.” Small Business. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. <http://smallbusiness.chron.com/stress-affects-work-performance-18040.html>.
Photo Credits:
Vacation. Thinkstock. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.