As temperatures climb, many workers are stocking up on sunscreen and booking summer travel. A recent Accountemps survey found more than half of Canadian workers (56 per cent) save their vacation time for June, July and August, and plan to take an average of 11 days off this summer. This can put pressure on companies to address potential productivity gaps that can stem from vacationing employees.

Workers were asked, “Do you save your vacation time for the summer months?“Their responses:

Yes	56%
No	44%
100%

Workers were also asked, “How many vacation days do you plan to take this summer?“Their responses:

0 days	8%
1–5 days	22%
6–10 days	34%
11–15 days	20%
16–20 days	7%
21+ days	9%
100%

View the Work’s Out for Summerinfographic for more details on workers’ vacation plans.

“With so many workers planning to take time off in the summer, companies need to prepare for staff absences to help alleviate disruptions,” said Koula Vasilopoulos, a district president for Accountemps in Canada. “Ahead of planned time off, employees can ease the burden on their team by prioritizing ongoing projects with their manager and colleagues. Try to anticipate any additional matters or requests that may occur while the employee is out as well. Some extra preparation will allow the team member to fully disconnect and return to work recharged.”

Accountemps offers five tips to help keep the office running smoothly during vacation absences:

1. Have the employee make a list of everything that needs to be handled and note any issues that may arise.
2. Assign delegates to handle projects and cover emergencies, and meet with contacts prior to departure to ensure continued progress.
3. Ensure the employee prepares out-of-office email and voicemail messages that provide a coworker’s contact information for urgent matters during their absence.
4. Block off time in the schedule after the staff member returns from vacation for project updates and to catch up on important developments.
5. Consider bringing in temporary professionals to keep operations running smoothly.

About the Research

The online survey was developed by Accountemps and conducted by an independent research firm. It includes responses from more than 400 Canadian workers 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments.

About Accountemps

Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has more than 300 locations worldwide. More resources, including job search services and the company’s blog, can be found at roberthalf.ca/accountemps.

SOURCE Accountemps