Monday, April 12, 2021

Vacation Void

Even with the added stress of COVID-19, fewer Canadians are taking their full allotment of vacation days, according to a recent survey conducted for ADP Canada Co.

Guide Magazine

Many workers, particularly in healthcare, have had difficulty taking time off, and it’s affecting their level of engagement, retention, and burnout.

The December 2020 survey of 860 Canadians found that not taking allotted vacation time was widespread.

• 49% took less or no vacation time.
• 43% used less than half of their vacation days.
• 25% didn’t use any vacation days.
• 28% planned to carry unused vacation time into 2021.

Gender, marital status, and age were all factors in whether Canadians took their vacation time.

• 64% of men plan to take time off this year but only 58% of women plan to.
• 34% of single workers didn’t take any time off over the Christmas holidays compared to 22% of those who are married.
• 30% of those age 18-34 didn’t taken any vacation last year—the most of any age group.

The situation likely isn’t going to get any better as the pandemic is expected to continue through much of 2021. Heather Haslam, vice-president of marketing at ADP, warns employers of the consequences of their employees not taking vacation time.

“Employers need to be vigilant and make room for employees to take time off to avoid burnout,” she says. “Ensuring that teams are properly resourced and that employees understand time off will not impact their performance ratings will increase workers’ comfort in utilizing their allotted vacation time.”

A survey last summer by the Vanier Institute of the Family found that 72 percent of parents said it was unlikely that they would take a family vacation.

“Historically—pre-COVID—people would go on vacation in order to spend time with their families,” said Nora Spinks, Vanier Institute CEO. “They have had an abundance of time with their families in the last few months and so that draw is not there.”

Jordan Friesen, national director of workplace health for the Canadian Mental Health Association, outlines the importance of taking vacation to maintain work performance. “We are most able to be productive and contribute to the work we want to do when we take time away to look after ourselves,” he said. “Time off is critical for your ability to do your best work when you are at work.”

Although it may be difficult to get away due to COVID’s travel restrictions, Friesen advises that workers should take some sort of break to help prevent burnout. “A good friend had some wisdom in a common saying that the way he liked to disconnect was to do something completely different from what he did every day.”

Sources: Canadian HR Reporter, benefitscanada.com, globalnews.ca

Vacation Void

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