Earlier this month we had “national no housework day”, patented in the 1980s as a day to “leave it all to tomorrow.” Next month in May we will see a “national no homework day.”
What if we had a “national no work tasks day”? – but different to the current Public Holiday or Closed Days in the UK such as Xmas. We would all go to the workplace, but not do work. Offices could be hubs of coffee, catch ups, finding out about each other, chatting with different departments, having long lunches together or all volunteering together for a local charity for the day. Variations would be in place for non-office-based workers.
There is no doubt that providing opportunities for employees to control and influence their own work, cultivating a culture of respect, motivation, and feedback, are well-known practices for a happy work environment. Whereas common workplace stress factors can include long hours, heavy workloads, boring tasks, tight deadlines, or lack of autonomy. Therefore, in theory letting go of the stress for a day, handing back job titles and dramas, being in control and just all taking a breath, together, – could be great for some but probably not for everyone as some individuals thrive on structure and activity.
An example of this can be seen in schools. Many of them don’t have all classes or homework as such in the last week of term. Interestingly according to Gov.Uk, Education Statistics, absence for the year 22/23, was 7.5% overall with the last week of term seeing absence rising to 10.7%. Traditionally this is when there is a lack of standard activity, substituted for “games or films” i.e. not school tasks. The split was higher absence in secondary than primary schools. Therefore, perhaps “a no work tasks” day of focusing on different activities at work might give a short-term morale boost for some but not for all.
The good news is that many organisations are already offering incentives such as duvet days and volunteering days and so much more – and really tailor their proposition to their employees by listening to what they need.
This sounds like the ideal way forward. Maybe we shouldn’t expect or want a National No Work Task Day anytime soon….
If you need help with workplace incentives, engagement, or improvement activities, please contact support@mckinneyhr.co.uk
