hronline reveals that 69% of UK workers want an extra Bank Holiday between September and December

Aug. 30, 2012 - PRLog -- ·         69% of workers think there should be an extra bank holiday between September and December
·         64% of workers feel depressed due to the winter darkness
·         77% of workers would increase productivity to get extra time off

Alan Price, managing director of hronline the subsidiary of Peninsula Business Services said, “Despite the appalling weather, summer is coming to an end and it reflects in employee motivation. The period between September and December can often seem like the most depressing period in the working calendar. Reasons for this could be put down to the fact that many employees are returning from holidays and are now facing a long 'slog' to Christmas with little or no holiday entitlement remaining with employees on average only having 2 days off in this period.

Another issue is the decreasing amount of daylight hours and the impending gloom of commuting to and from work in the winter darkness as 68% of workers stated this as the worst aspect of working during the winter months. More worrying for employers is that depleting morale amongst employees is often coupled with reduced levels of productivity.”

Price continues, “Employers are increasingly having to find ways through which to keep their staff motivated. One way in which this has been done is to offer incentives to employees. This doesn’t always have to be financial.  Offering earlier finishes or longer breaks can often be enough to drive up employee’s productivity with 77% of workers stating that they would be enticed to work harder if offered the chance to leave work early. An increasing number of companies have also introduced flexible working whereby workers can accrue time off by working longer hours. This can often act as an earned substitute for holiday entitlement.”

“A key aspect to avoid during this period is to not create a monotonous work environment where employees are doing the same tasks at the same time day in day out. By varying the types of tasks being done from day to day can help to keep employees switched on and energised.”

Price concludes; “By implementing some new measures employers can ensure the general happiness of their employees through the winter months and before they know it can start to get excited about Christmas.”

For more information on hronline please click the following link: https://www.peninsula-online.com/hronlineintroduction/

Notes to Editor:

- hronline is a cloud based HR solution for employers
- Alan Price is managing director of hronline
- hronline is a subsidiary of Peninsula Business Services
- 352 employees were questioned as part of the research
- For further clarification please contact Sammual - James McLoughlin on 0161 827 8511