The Importance of Taking Holidays (in Times of Corona)

Holidays in corona times
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With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the ways we work and live today, holidays and vacations are also going to be different. Regardless of whether or not you work from home, taking holidays is important. In fact, taking paid time off (PTO) is probably more important now that many of us are working from home full time. It may be difficult to structure the work as the lack of commute does not signal the start and end of a work day.

It is also more difficult for managers to oversee how much people are really working, so holidays are important to relieve work stress and set your mind to other things.

The benefits of Vacation time

Not only do vacations boost energy reserves, research has indicated that they ensure better performance as employees take the time to relax and then return with renewed energy and motivation. Vacations allow people to become more creative as the change of scenery and pace disconnects them from work and their everyday life.  Making employees more confident, happier and renews their energy. All the while reducing the chances of overworking and becoming sick. Regularly taking time off is essential to having a healthy workforce and uplifting mood throughout the workforce.

Regardless of whether COVID-19 has put an end to big holiday plans, managers should encourage their employees to take the planned time off. Even if the holiday has now become something that is much closer to home, closing off work for a few weeks, or even a couple of days, is beneficial to everyone in the workforce.

Track Work Time

Do you know how much your employees are working? It is possible that, without a day at the office, people work for too long. A simple way to track this is to register the time spent working for every day. You can easily do this by using a smart tool such as Timesheets Registration. Each employee submits their daily hours of the time they have spent working. Managers receive the information and can easily track how many hours are spent on the job. If the employee starts logging too many hours, talk to them about it to determine what might help to reduce their hours.

Discuss PTO Budgets

Employers and employees should engage in conversation about their PTO-budget. How much has been used and how much is still in the budget for that year? This is important to discuss as it helps managers keep track of the employees on vacation and those working. It will help to plan it so that not everyone is gone at the same time. It helps to have tools that register exactly how many hours of PTO have been spent and how much is left.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources includes FourVision’s Leave & Absence functionality. FourVision supplies additional support on the front end of the App. The PTO budget is registered on the employee dashboard so that the employee can always see exactly what time they have left over after taking out hours for time off. Personal calendars include all national holidays and the requested (approved) time off in monthly overviews. Managers can track the leave requests to easily and quickly  see who has time off and when.

From all of us at FourVision, we hope you have a nice vacation, even if your holiday plans have been derailed somewhat due to COVID-19.

About us

FourVision is Microsoft’s global leading Dynamics 365 Human Resources implementation partner. We have successfully implemented HR platforms in a variety of industries across multiple Microsoft environments for over a decade. FourVision also delivers an impressive suite of Web Apps that extend Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources. Our Web Apps will help your organization prepare for the future. See more about our solutions here!

 

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