Why Companies Should Offer All Employees One Week Off

Companies are trying out a new method to prevent and reduce employee burnout.

Hootsuite, Mozilla, LinkedIn and other organizations have started closing their offices down for one week, allowing employees the time to totally unwind and relax without the stress of playing catchup when they return.

“Letting the entire workplace take time off all at once can encourage people who would otherwise feel compelled to keep working – as a way of showing their commitment – to take some time away, because no one else is in the office to pressure them to keep on working,” said Blaine Landish, professor of organizations behavior of UCL School of Management.

For example, Hootsuite offered a “Wellness Week” in July when a survey showed that staff weren’t taking the time for self-care. By offering its staff of over 1,000 employees a week off, the company hoped workers could take this time to recharge and reflect with no distractions.

However, offering time off isn’t the only aspect helping combat burnout. Having time off as a team is the real key to ensuring this type of program actually works.

Since most of the staffers will have the week off, returning to the office won’t include catching up on numerous emails and meeting notes.

“By taking a moment to pause together, we were able to take a collective breath and remove the pressure to catch up upon return,” said Tara Ataya, chief people and diversity officer at Hootsuite.