How are you advertising your business these days? Prints ads, Web Videos, TV, Radio, Periodicals, Billboards? These can all be effective means of sharing your company’s mission with the world. However, there’s another means of advertising that you may not have considered – Your Employees. That’s right. Your employees talk about their jobs all the time with their families, their friends, and their neighbors. What they say in those conversations will be some of the most powerful (and certainly most passionate) advertising out there. Nothing says, “My company is amazing!” like employees who feel respected and appreciated. On the other hand, the message of employees who feel marginalized and neglected can be just as strong.
So how can you effect those conversations for the better? Well, one way is to consider offering paid holidays. As business owners we often see holidays as payroll relief, but what if we looked at them as investment opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics absenteeism, lost productivity, and health issues caused by job-related stress cost American companies approximately $344 billion dollars each year in revenue. In a day when the average employee works 160 hours more per month than in 1976, nothing takes the stress off like a day to rest without worrying about having to tighten the grocery budget. And nothing says, “You’re talent is respected!” or “Your contribution is appreciated!” quite like paid holidays.
In the end, paid holidays aren’t mandatory in our country. However that doesn’t mean that they aren’t helpful. As seasoned HR professionals, we help talented people find homes in companies every day. And paid holidays are always high on their list of preferences. Competition for the really good people is tough. Isn’t it worth the small investment of paid holidays to have fantastic team members who believe in your company, enjoy their work, and speak highly of your organization for years to come? No amount of print, radio, or TV will accomplish that.
Do you currently offer paid holidays to your employees? If so, why? And how has your investment paid off?
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