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Far fewer workers taking vacation this year By Jim Wilson Sick days on the rise again as the weather cools, COVID cases rise: Survey Far fewer Canadians took a vacation this past summer, as there were 40 percent fewer time-off requests for the summer of 2020 compared to 2019.... Travel restrictions are a primary cause, says a report from HR, payroll, and benefits platform Humi. That said, the pandemic has had a major impact on job security, which raises the question as to whether or not the decline of time-off requests is due to the fear of reprimand, work overload due to layoffs in the workplace, or a combination of both. It’s an employer’s responsibility to make sure employees take their vacation. And even if an individual doesn’t take vacation time in a given year, that doesn’t alleviate the company from its obligations of vacation pay, says the report. To prepare both your business and employees, you should have workplace policies that outline your approach to vacation requests, carry-over, and vacation pay-out in lieu of time taken, In the U.S., 38 percent of workers say their employer or manager has encouraged them to take time off. That’s up from 25 percent three months ago, found a survey of more than 1,000 workers between July 16 and 22 by Robert Half. Sick days The number of sick day requests was higher at the start of the year: January (2,000), February (1,700), and March (1,700). These then fell as the weather warmed up: April (730), May (805), June (1,000), July (1,000) but are rising again with the cooler weather: August (1,100) and September (1,200), finds Humi. However, the pandemic also had a major impact on job security, and so it is sensible to ask if the decline of time off requests is due to the fear of reprimand, work overload due to layoffs in the workplace, or a combination of both. Fear of losing their job means one in five Canadian workers have said they would go to the office even when they are coughing, sneezing, and feeling sick, according to a survey done earlier this year.

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Motivation levels drop as pandemic continues 'Employers play a critical role by reinforcing the need for self-care and promoting resources such as EAPs and virtual healthcare' After months of stress and uncertainty, the pandemic is having an impact on the motivation of many Canadian workers.... More than one-third (36 percent) say that they are finding it more difficult to feel motivated to work, while 34 percent say they find it more difficult to concentrate on work compared to before the pandemic, according to Morneau Shepell. "Motivation is impacted by ongoing strain," says Paula Allen, senior vice president of research, analytics, and innovation at Morneau Shepell. "A decline in motivation suggests emotional exhaustion. Right now, we have two main things driving that exhaustion. We are often not balancing work with fun, social contact, and exploration. Rest is also important but we need more than rest to have balance. Additionally, some [people] are working more and others are experiencing work as more draining because of concerns about job security or needing to deal with multiple mental and situational distractions, on top of the actual work. Both types of issues can be helped with planning and getting coaching or counseling." Not getting help However, many Canadians say that the pandemic has made them less likely to access healthcare for physical (29 percent) and mental health needs (24 percent) than prior to COVID-19, finds the survey. "When life is disrupted, we are more likely to ignore important aspects of self-care. We might put things on hold or somehow think everything will automatically get better when things are less disrupted," says Allen. "Although Canadians are experiencing significant change in all areas of life, accessing physical and mental health support must remain a constant. Employers play a critical role in this by reinforcing the need for self-care and promoting resources such as employee assistance programs and virtual healthcare."