Why is the right to rest for workers important?

Why is the right to rest for workers important? (BC UMA) There are many people who, based on a very simplistic idea of ​​what "willpower" is, assume that in order to work well You have to do your best in all situations and add value to the company by sacrificing hours and hours in she.

From this point of view, the fact that companies strictly apply policies to ensure that workers enjoy free time rest that goes beyond what is required by law is just an attempt to be “politically correct”, a marketing ploy to give an image false. However, this is not true. Offering down time and a true digital disconnection outside of the workday is something that is not limited to the world of appearances, and connects with the basic principles of the proper functioning of organizations in general and Human Resources in particular.

• Related article: "The 6 pillars of Human Resources"

Reasons why worker rest is essential

These are the main factors that make it essential for companies to offer adequate rest time to their workers.

1. Prevents the appearance of avoidable conflicts

One of the most notable psychological effects of lack of rest is increased irritability and the predisposition to engage in behaviors based on hostility and confrontation; not only with the company itself, but even with the rest of the workers. This phenomenon is fueled by vulnerabilities such as envy, frustration at workflow failures, doubts about who to communicate doubts to, etc. In short, an organization in which workers do not have the rest they need is a ideal context for the appearance of rivalries and struggles that have no greater objective than to alleviate tensions.

• You may be interested in: "The 15 most frequent problems and conflicts at work"

2. It is a key aspect of family reconciliation

We must not forget the fact that family conciliation connects with the most important values ​​of the majority of employees; many people, in fact, have as their main goal providing resources and care for their family nucleus. In this sense, a work environment that does not allow spending quality time with the family automatically becomes a place to leave as soon as possible. Thus, it is necessary to offer both adequate rest time and the necessary flexibility so that it fits with the dynamics of awareness in the family,

3. Helps keep long-term goals in mind

Normally, the most viable companies are those in which there is a vision of business as a long-distance race, emphasizing strategies that will allow all the pieces to fit together both in the short and long term. For this reason, it is important to give rise to a work dynamic that is not based on constantly draining water or looking for desperate solutions for problems that must be solved in a matter of days, such as the accumulation of job.

In this sense, offering an adequate rest system to workers allows them not only to see a future in the company and commit to it, but also to have enough energy to look beyond routine tasks and actively propose solutions or ideas to improve the overall functioning of the company organization.

• Related article: "Types of motivation: the 8 motivational sources"

4. Digital disconnection is necessary to let go of obsessive thoughts

Many people have trouble taking their minds off work even outside of working hours; Paradoxically, this causes them to make worse decisions and perform less at work, in addition to damaging their health.

In this sense, offering hours of true rest, which involves digital disconnection (doing what necessary so that workers do not have to read or respond to work messages over the internet, or attend to calls), It is important so that people can afford to do a mental "reset" and, when they return, face their responsibilities with a renewed mentality and free from those inertias that lead us to always think about the same thing and in the same way.

5. Contributes to talent retention

As a consequence of all of the above, the fact of offering adequate rest conditions for the employees of a company allows workers to quickly adapt their job work and, once they have learned the way the organization works and the tasks on which it is based on a day-to-day basis, they tend to prefer to stay in it instead of going to work elsewhere entity. That is giving the possibility of resting well is also a competitive advantage in the context of the labor market, since it allows "loyalty" to employees, who feel comfortable and enjoy a correct work-life balance, something that makes the company more efficient and reliable in the long term because it does not suffer the wear and tear of a high turnover of workers.

• You may be interested in: "Worker Loyalty Strategies to retain talent"

Do you want to train in the field of Human Resources?

If you are interested in specializing in HR and Psychology of Work and Organizations, the Master's Degree in Selection and Talent Management offered by the University of Malaga (UMA) is what you are looking for.

This complete training and professionalization program is specially designed for graduates or graduates in Psychology, Labor Relations and Business Administration and Management, and gives the opportunity to learn from several of the HR professionals from the most important companies that They operate in Spain. To learn more, go to this page.