What Kind of “Time Off” Should You Really be Taking?
It comes as no surprise that after dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic since the onset of 2020 that employees are experiencing higher rates of burnout than ever before. According to Asana’s 2021 Anatomy of Work Index, the working world faced troubling trends during the height of the pandemic and correlating work shifts, including a rise in overwork and burnout. The study found that globally, 87% of employees worked late, and 71% of all knowledge workers experienced burnout in 2020.
Something that many of us have used to combat symptoms of burnout and full-on burnout has been time off of work. Time off (whether it be paid or unpaid) is something we all need to get in some much-needed self-care, rest and relaxation, but have you ever thought about what type of time off you should be taking? Today we’re breaking it all down so you can be prepared for your next vacay, workcation or bleisure travel trip so you can get your R&R.
We’ll preface this breakdown by clarifying that depending on your country, state/province, occupation, or company, you may be eligible for all of the below or maybe only a few. We recommend asking your HR department and your employment contract to confirm which apply to you and if they fall under paid time off or unpaid time off.
Traditional Vacation Leave
Feeling overwhelmed at work or have some vacation days banked that you need to take? Looks like you should take some PTO! Taking traditional vacation leave will allow you to leave work at your desk while you fully log off and travel (or enjoy a staycation!). This type of leave typically falls under paid time off depending on your occupation. Many companies have even started to provide unlimited paid time off – you can read more about it here.
Workcation
Have you ever wanted to explore the world in an authentic, local way while maintaining your full-time gig? Enter, the Workcation. A Workcation is an on-the-clock vacation that will allow you to see the world without dipping into the PTO bank – some feel that this is beneficial as it provides a change of scenery while still allowing the completion of remote work obligations. Workcations can work exceptionally well if you work for a company that practices Hybrid or Remote (Untethered, as we like to call it) workplace models.
Bleisure Travel
Bleisure – a hybrid between business and leisurely travel. Typically, the “leisure” portion of travel will occur prior to or after a business trip. You can either look at extending your business trips in order to sightsee or relax in combination with work. Depending on your company, bleisure may not always require you to use your PTO, but it is likely that you’ll be expected to log in and complete some work – especially if your business trip doesn’t quite fall across a weekend.
Sabbatical Leave
Sabbatical leave typically entails a lengthy period of time in which you take an extended break from work. The length of time (if eligible for sabbatical) will vary depending on your line of work or if your company has decided to offer it. This type of leave is especially beneficial if you have been craving some professional or self-development. Examples of what you can do on sabbatical leave are taking a course, volunteering, or building your network. If you’re lucky, some companies will even allow you to take an extended vacation on your sabbatical leave – so get chatting to your HR team! **Sabbaticals can be both paid and unpaid.
Mental Health Day
Mental health days can be used when you not only need to relax and recharge but are feeling burnt out from work or life and need to take some self-care, “you-time” – especially when it comes to your mental health. Employee wellbeing is something companies should be taking into serious consideration, with more than half of all workers feeling unmotivated at work and 66 percent of workers stating that workplace issues were affecting their sleep. Sometimes companies will even offer this separately from your PTO.
After reading our breakdown, you may be asking yourself which type of time off is right for you – we can help with that! Click the button below to download our COMPLIMENTARY Checklist Resource to discover how you should take your next holiday.