Brits hunger for holiday!

According to a recent survey conducted by Post Office Travel Insurance, heavy workloads and long working hours mean that the average Brit now needs six holidays every year to avoid becoming ill, anxious or aggressive. Long gone are the days when a week in Butlins did the trick; a quarter of today’s workers now feel so pressured at work that they are ‘desperate’ to get away every few weeks. However, any small business owner will be quick to tell you that this is simply not feasible, given business needs. That said, when it comes to overworked, stressed employees, something’s got to give and that will most likely be productivity or an increase in sickness absence. So it becomes clear that what’s needed is the ever elusive balance.

So how are other people motivating their employees? Well, Dynamo Kiev, the Ukraine’s top flight football team, deduct players’ salary each time the team lose. Not something we at The HR Dept would advise that’s for sure. Sometimes it’s the simple ways to inspire your staff that work the best. Taking time to celebrate the small things like birthdays, weddings or anniversaries or even a monthly celebration shows that management does care. The best reward you can give an employee is to give them what they want. Cool rewards and motivators can include an extra day to work remotely for the new mum, a nice lunch for an employee who rarely gets out; time to attend extra religious services for the devout and chocolate for the chocoholic. The most important thing to remember is that your staff appreciate being appreciated and sometimes a simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way.