The smooth functioning of a business often relies on the happiness and wellbeing of its workers. Needless to say, happiness and wellbeing took a significant hit during the Covid-19 pandemic for many of us. Whilst working from home and the new ‘hybrid’ models adopted by many businesses may be convenient for some, the lines between work and rest grow fainter. The bedroom becomes the office. This can mean, with more flexible working hours, employees take significantly less time off. Without the structure afforded by a pre-pandemic world, time usually set aside for ‘switching off’ can now be spent in the home office.
But why do we need time off?
Our brains, though powerful, are not equipped to concentrate for overly extended periods of time and taking regular rest ensures that, when we are working, we are working at our best. Taking rest is also known to reduce stress levels and improve mental health. Productivity, resilience, and a balanced life are only a few of the considerable advantages gained with a healthy approach to work-rest balance. These benefits not only increase our own quality of life, but also the quality of our work and thus the productivity and output of the company.
Rest can come in many forms: as annual leave, weekends, lunch breaks, coffee breaks, and time outside office hours. During this time, it is important to find a change of scene to create a mental separation between work and rest. Exercise can also be useful as a form of ‘active rest’, counteracting the health risks posed by sitting down for long periods of time.
Business should therefore take steps to implement this rest, not only to protect its employees, but also thereby ensuring the company’s own success and longevity. Managers have an important role to play in implementing their employees’ rest. Managers can lead by example, taking rest of their own, but can also check in on whether workers are taking sufficient time off work, whether for a couple of minutes to get a coffee, or for a couple of weeks on holiday. Education of workers regarding the benefits of rest is also crucial. Many employees rarely use all their prescribed annual leave, a problem exacerbated by the pandemic now that more and more businesses operate from home.
Companies can also create policies to ensure employees, and can also create a healthy work environment, where rest is built into the office’s concept of a healthy work ethic. It must be clearly explained that time off is not irresponsible or lazy, but in fact quite the opposite. Rest should be considered a pro-active step in increasing an individual’s quality of work and promoting healthy attitudes towards it.
