How to Create a Healthy Vacation Culture in Your Company: 8 Tips for Employers

German employees are legally entitled to at least 20 days of vacation with a five-day week. On average, however, companies grant 28.9 vacation days, including public holidays this can be around 40 days. Plenty of time to really switch off and recharge your batteries for new top performances after the holiday.

But very few have a clear head when they are lying on the beach or in the mountains. According to a survey by the digital association Bitkom, 71 percent of employees were available for work in the summer of 2022. And 27 percent read or edited e-mails and, if necessary, took part in video conferences. The main reason for holiday zeal is not personal ambition, but a sense of duty: 63 percent assume that colleagues expect you to be available; 50 percent think that supervisors want this.

Of course there are reasons to be available for important questions. In principle, however, it is also better for the company if employees can switch off when they are on vacation. Because well rested people are more productive, more creative and are less likely to be absent due to illness. “Companies should establish a culture according to which vacation really means vacation,” says Professor Carmen Binnewies. She teaches work psychology at the University of Münster and researches work-life balance, among other things.

But what does a healthy holiday culture look like? Eight tips on how bosses can ensure that employees can switch off during their time off.

Tip 1: Set vacation rules that everyone thinks are fair

Who is allowed to go away during the coveted school holidays – and for how long? Because the vacation of one team member often affects the others, a few basic rules that everyone accepts and considers fair can help. “It is best if the employees work on these together and also keep an eye on the needs of the customers,” says Carsten Roth, consultant for corporate culture from Rommerskirchen.