Annual leave is more than just an employee perk, it’s a necessity that benefits both the employer and the employee. Taking a break from your day to day working environment helps you to relax and unwind which also increases productivity. African Biraboneye, the General Secretary of the Confederation of Trade Unions in Rwanda (CESTRAR), explains that having an annual leave is a right provided by the labour law and the International Labour Conventions: C132 and C052. He adds that taking leave is in line with occupational health and safety of a worker with a minimum of 1.5 day for every month of work. Remy Ngoga, an entrepreneur says that taking leave is an essential aspect that is highly valued at his work place. He believes an employer who denies leave to his employees limits chances of growth for his company but also puts their health at risk. “Employees who never rest are bound to have work-related stress, this can on the other side increase anxiety and depression. However, employees who get enough rest are surely going to be inspired to work more and hence increase productivity,” he says. According to Jackie Umurerwa, a statistician, taking leave is very important noting that there is a saying that ‘work without play, makes Jack a dull boy.’ “Working is a necessity but even then employees deserve to take some rest. There is always time for everything, even the bible states it very well- that there is time to work and time to rest. However, today you find people working from Monday to Sunday, January to December and this has come with a lot of consequences,” Umurerwa says. The absence of leave translates to numerous effects in other areas out of work too. “Apparently, I will say that our children have lost parental care due to tight work schedules. We no longer get time to sit with our kids and have left them with house maids, however cases like these can be minimised if workers have access to leave.” She goes on to emphasise that companies need to value this aspect enough since it only benefits the employees but the employers as well.
