As the year ends, you might feel as though you and your staff still have loads of unsolved tasks and other work to do in order to close things out and be ready to begin a new year in the right direction. While it’s tempting to keep working, right on through the holidays, I urge you to reconsider and give yourself, and your team, a break! Instead of asking your staff to work through the holidays, consider the following benefits of taking this time off.

Boost Performance and Enhance Wellness

Everyone’s body, mind and spirit needs a break from time to time to be able to continue performing at our best. Not only does our performance suffer when we are overworked, but our resistance to illness breaks down as our stress levels increase. Taking time off for the holidays will not only improve everyone’s mood, but it will also be good for everyone’s physical and mental health as well!

Reduce Turnover

Taking time off doesn’t just provide a boost to your team’s wellbeing, it will also improve their morale, and, likely reduce your rate of turnover. In fact, many studies show that there is a direct correlation between how happy we are with our working situation, and, whether we will give in to temptation and jump ship. We all know just how difficult and expensive it can be to find and retain great people, so why not give your team a few extra days off during the holidays to increase their satisfaction with your organisation?

Many Organisations Will Be Closed

Take a step back and be honest with yourself, how much work will you or your team realistically be able to accomplish during the holiday? Many state and federal organisations will be closed during the week, and private and public third parties will also likely be closed for business as well. This will make it increasingly difficult for you and your staff or volunteers to complete tasks that rely on the assistance and cooperation of others. Why not make the most of this opportunity and allow everyone in your nonprofit time to relax and rejuvenate?

You Owe it to Yourself and Your Team

It’s no secret that most of us working in the nonprofit sector are underpaid, or lack some of the perks that workers in the for-profit space typically earn, such as retirement pensions or matching contributions to a self-funded retirement account. Even when we receive equal pay to our for-profit counterparts, many of us put in long hours each day, or even under-report the hours that we work. Giving yourself and your people a few extra days at the end of the year will not cost your organisation very much, and, will at least be a gesture that acknowledges the worth of all the hard work and effort that you put into your cause throughout the year. Taking a break during the holiday season will allow your staff and volunteers to reconnect with the special people and activities in their life so that everyone comes back recharged and ready to tackle obstacles, thus making 2019 your most productive and successful one yet!