Simply taking a deep breath is impossible for many people at work. Zero-buck days are supposed to provide relaxation without holidays or sick leave when employees don’t feel like working.
Regeneration in everyday working life is also possible with less radical ideas.
It is more relaxing to spend time at 22Bet than to work. But this can maybe be your perfect break to take a deep breath.
You’re not sick, but you still feel tired and exhausted and really don’t feel like going to work today. So you stay at home, but you still get paid. So-called ‘zero-buck days’ or ‘reset days ’ are attracting much attention, especially on social media.
The idea behind this is a working model in which employees can spontaneously take time off if they feel unmotivated or exhausted without having to use holiday days or submit a sick note.
This is unlikely to become widespread in German companies, but it still seems attractive. After all, we are probably all familiar with the alternative: you pull yourself together and sit down at work, but you are still not focused and only productive to a limited extent.
Lack of motivation often leads to procrastination, a state that affects not only individual performance but also the overall efficiency of the team.
Significant costs due to lack of drive
Studies show that such invisible breaks cause considerable costs: Absenteeism and reduced productivity resulting from mental exhaustion or a lack of motivation often go unnoticed by companies and run into the millions.
Dealing with regeneration days in an open and plannable manner is advised. In this way, recovery is specifically promoted and anchored in the organisation, and hidden productivity losses are reduced.
Employees do not have to cover up their exhaustion or call in sick if they only need a short break to recharge their batteries.
The consultant has specific ideas on how time off can be realistically implemented in everyday working life.
Idea 1: Time joker days
The idea: With the time Joker days, a company introduces a separate contingent of days that cannot be taken in combination with regular holiday days – but only as individual days or a maximum of two consecutive days.
These days, you can then take a deep breath and recharge your batteries spontaneously and at short notice.
It is also conceivable to allocate a certain number of half days so that a working day can be started later or finished earlier. For example, companies can allocate such days within the framework of time accounts.
For instance, we can give all employees one hour every week. Anyone who has accumulated eight hours can use them for a time joker day.
Another way is that companies use the days to reward employees, for example, if they have had little or no absenteeism due to illness or have stood out for their exceptional performance.
Idea 2: Meeting-free times throughout the company
Meeting, meeting, meeting: When working days are organised this way, stress and exhaustion quickly increase. Meeting-free times that apply company-wide can prevent this effect. Motivation remains more constant, and zero-buck days are rarer.
According to experts, some companies also restrict the sending and forwarding of emails after work and at weekends. This could also be extended to messenger and chat services.
Idea 3: I do what I feel like doing today
If someone doesn’t feel like working, it can sometimes be due to specific tasks. If, for example, the quarterly or annual financial statements have been conquered, an event successfully organised, or a major project completed, a team should be allowed to shift down a gear.
Especially after a lot of tension, it is important that it is allowed to subside—and that it is okay to be a little less productive.
Then, there should be an offer and openness to allow employees to spend a few days on ‘lightweight tasks’—tidying up emails, sorting through files, or doing research, for example.
Further training can also be a welcome change, says the coach. This could involve reading specialist articles, taking part in a webinar, or watching tutorials.
The expert suggests that companies could also make time available for this, combined with an invitation to share experiences and insights with the team as part of a short keynote speech.
