The ever-expanding strategic role of
Just as all of us help educate our clients on behavioral health and benefit ideas for their workforce, we need to practice what we preach. One of the emerging trends we’re seeing surrounds the discussion of
It was nice to reduce our commutes working from home, and as a result, we became much more efficient throughout the day. But we cannot ignore the fact that our role as advisers has grown.
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While it may feel nice to be more needed, the struggle is real. How can we avoid burnout as much as possible yet still remain productive? A key element to focus on, in its simplest form, is time off. From an employer perspective, we’re talking about paid time off (PTO) or taking time away from work to truly disconnect. We don’t mean traveling and working, but traveling and enjoying. In a nutshell: getting completely off the work grid. And there’s no time of year to do this better than summer.
In an effort to practice what I preach, my wife and I recently took a hop across the Pond and spent 10 days in Europe. After overcoming concerns about babysitters for our kids, I was truly able to disconnect and not worry about work. It was something I haven’t been able to do in a very long time. This vacation actually refreshed my passion for what I do, especially since it came at the perfect time when the burnout was very real.
Just like athletes, our bodies need to rest. Taking a break may seem unproductive, but sooner or later burnout will rear its ugly head.
At our firm, we have an unlimited PTO policy. Additionally, when employees take PTO, it is mandatory. They disconnect and rely on their team to pick up any slack. Prior to this, several team members (including myself) would take PTO but still be tethered to their phones or laptops. That is not a vacation. Rather, it is akin to traveling to a business conference where you are still “on” per se, but not physically at your computer all day.
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While the above may seem simple, not every employer or benefit adviser can afford to offer an unlimited PTO policy to their employees. PTO is one of the highest trending areas coming out of the pandemic. However, while it is one of the oldest forms of employee benefits, similar to how the definition of employee benefits has changed, how and when we access and manage PTO has also changed.
Lighthouse Research & Advisory recently published a workforce study with input from 1,000 workers of all demographics representing the North American workforce in order to produce a comprehensive data set. Based on the company’s
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All signs point to the workforce needing more (and smarter) ways to avoid workout. But it’s important to remember that we’re in control Force yourself to disconnect — take a vacation, hang out with family or take up a hobby. Finding time outside of work to do things you love will leave you coming back refreshed.
If PTO isn’t feasible, as Lighthouse’s research shows is often the case, consider allowing employees to switch up the actual “days off” for another financial resource will breathe new life into the definition of PTO. Examples can include emergency cash, travel, student loan repayments, additional retirement plan contributions and charitable donations. The key is to get creative here.
As an adviser, our clients will always want the best from us, but we are also human. They surely will respect our need to vacation so that we avoid burnout and recharge our batteries. Same goes for being motivated to bring our best selves to work each day and as a result, your clients become the beneficiaries of this decision.
