"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

This adage makes a lot of sense in today's competitive environment where employees have to put in long hours of work all through the year. This constant stress adversely impacts body and mind, thereby making them less productive and happy in the long-run.

Many studies conducted across different industries also bring out the importance of taking breaks to boost productivity. A case in point is Ford, that reduced its work week from six days to five, and the work hours from 48 hours to 40, to ensure that workers were productive every week.

The company found that the productivity of workers and their drive to complete a task reduced when they toiled for more than eight hours a day, five days a week.

Vacations have a positive impact on the mental health of individuals. People who take more vacations have a better perspective about life and are motivated to accomplish their goals.

Despite this positive link between vacations and productivity, many employees, especially Americans, shy away from taking a vacation as they see it as lost time. However, that's not true as Americans are considered to be one of the overworked and stressed-out nations in the Western world.

A 2010 survey conducted by Expedia among different workers show that Americans have an annual vacation of 18 days, but they use only 16 days out of it. On the other hand, French and other European workers take twice the vacation time of Americans. Also, only 38 percent of Americans go on a vacation when compared to 63 percent of French respondents.

All these studies clearly point to the need for more vacation between work. Make it a policy of your company to let employees go on periodic recreational activities. You can even sponsor them to make sure they don’t skip it.
You don't always have to spend a lot of money and to make this happen. You can sponsor them to do small things like camping out in their RV, going for a skiing trip, walking around the downtown, a relaxing visit to the beach and so much more.

In fact, they are likely to take these small breaks when you provide them the necessary resources. For example, you're more likely to plan a quick camping trip if you own a RV or a quick day trip through snow trails when you own a snowmobile. There are ample RV reviews and reviews for other equipment you may need for your vacation and recreation online, so you can go for the right fit for your needs.

In short, taking regular breaks from work rejuvenates and refreshes your mind and body. Make sure to provide ample opportunities for your employees to take them.