- As of January 1, 2023, vacation days for all formal workers in Mexico doubled and they can now enjoy 12 days from their first working year.
- 78% of workers affirm that stress has a negative impact on their work performance.
- Enjoying a few days of vacation not only benefits the mental health of workers but also their entire environment.
There are many reasons why it is important to take vacations to get out of the routine, because you only have to take into account that one in five employees in the world (20%) affirm that their work negatively affects their mental health.according to a recent study conducted by The Workforce Institute at UKG.
This research evaluates the mental health of employees in organizations around the world. As the first vacation day of the year approaches, it is important to analyze the repercussions of not taking them and how employees who do enjoy these benefits benefit:
1. Share time with loved ones. Vacations are a time that people can take to enjoy in the company of their families, friends or partner. This is very valuable for workers because, according to the majority of those surveyed in the study mentioned above, they indicate that the pandemic made them realize that there are more important things in life than work (89%), they are now considering the qualities they look for in an employer (70%) and their expectations of how their company supports them have increased (76%).
2. Reduce burnout. The routine of work after weeks on end can be overwhelming and people start to show signs of fatigue and lose focus on their activities. Other data revealed by The Workforce Institute in UKG, indicate that At the end of the workday, 43% of employees are “often” or “always” exhausted and 78% say that stress has a negative impact on their job performance.
3. Dose of self-motivation: Getting out of the routine helps clear your mind and think about something beyond work. The mind purifies itself of all the information that is generated daily by work and makes room for new ideas. Holidays are essential so that employees can take a break and restart with more energy, so it is important to schedule them with a certain periodicity to maintain that flow of motivation and rest.
4. Improve physical and mental health: Having a few days out of the work routine is an advantage that is directly reflected in the physical and emotional state. According to UKG Mental Health study, one in 5 employees globally (20%) say their work negatively affects their mental health, and women seem to have it worse (23% vs. 16% of men). This is undoubtedly the factor that should be taken into account when planning vacations, because by prioritizing health and spending time on it, productivity will improve considerably and make it easier to achieve the objectives that are proposed both professionally and personally.
“Work is one of the most important pillars of our lives that, without realizing it, we fall into a routine that we get used to. But we must not lose sight of the importance of resting and recovering energy to resume our work, since this is having implications for our well-being,” says Tatiana Treviño from UKG.
It also indicates that many people tend not to take vacations for long periods of time. According to this study, more than a quarter of employees (28%) only take one to four days off, and 85% of them do not use all of their allotted time. It is vital to encourage all employees to rest and take advantage of all the vacation days to which they are entitled under the new law.
Vacations must become a good practice in companies and more so with the new schemes such as those that have come into force as of 2023, such as being able to enjoy 12 days of vacation from the first year. This was born from the need of people to take a break, but it is the task and responsibility of both companies and employees to schedule their days and use them to maintain adequate physical and mental health.
Also read:
Offering More Vacation Days: Mental Health Benefits
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Mental health care, fundamental purpose for 2023 (and the following years)