By now, you have probably heard about the gracious CEO of a Denver-based technology company who gives his employees $7,500 to use toward a vacation, on top of their fifteen days paid vacation and federal holidays. There is a catch, however. In order to receive the money, the employees cannot work at all during their vacation, including not checking work emails or texts and not making or taking work phone calls, and they must actually go on vacation, i.e. no staying home and pocketing the money. According to the CEO, the policy has made a big difference in the company’s culture and has been good for business (find out more here: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-this-tech-ceo-gives-employees-7500-to-go-on-vacation-2015-6#ixzz3elPy9NHM).
Now, realistically, you may not have the ability to give every employee a $7,500 vacation stipend, especially if you are a small business owner or an independently owned and operated franchisee, but that doesn’t mean you cannot implement employee-friendly policies that encourage rest and relaxation in order to revitalize your work force. Implementing policies that provide your employees with generous paid vacation and an opportunity to truly disengage from the work place allows them to rejuvenate their mind and body while spending quality time with their family and friends. When they return to work, more than likely, the employees will feel restored and refocused and their productivity will reflect that and so will the bottom line. After all, happy employees lead to loyal employees and greater employee retention, which can be one of the main issues franchises face. You may not be able to be as generous as the CEO at the tech company in Denver, but there are plenty of ways you can follow his example that can lead to happier employees and a better company culture.
