The Manager's Pocket Guide to Motivating Employees

Breaks

There is every indication that when people take breaks (vacation, days off, holidays), they come back to work refreshed, motivated, and much more productive. Yet I have been in many work environments where people never took breaks.

In many organizations, people are in early, leave late, and eat lunch at their desk. This might be okay if a company has an urgent project in the short term, but as a regular practice, it is a good way to burn employees out. For employees to maintain motivation and energy, they must have breaks. Managers must foster and encourage employees to take breaks and to get out of the office and away from their desks. This accomplishes two objectives: It gives employees a break and shows the employee that the manager ...