Sometimes a day off at relatively short notice is just what an employee needs, and can result in them throwing a sickie. Allowing staff to take a limited number of ‘duvet days’ a year could spell the end of sickies, and improve employee engagement and loyalty.
Angela O’Connor, former HR director and CEO of consultancy the HR Lounge, introduced the concept as a form of reward and recognition. “I’d give duvet days for a job well done, but the condition was the person had to spend the day doing something totally selfish for themselves,” she says. “They had to tell me first what they were planning to do, whether it was a day reading or spent at a spa.” O’Connor says it was the perfect way to ensure staff recharged their batteries and increased productivity and engagement.
