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.
โLetting the entire workplace take time off all at once can encourage people who would otherwise feel compelled to keep working โ as a way of showing their commitment โ to take some time away, because no one else is in the office to pressure them to keep on working,โ said Blaine Landish, professor of organizations behavior of UCL School of Management.
For example, Hootsuite offered a โWellness Weekโ in July when a survey showed that staff werenโt 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 isnโt 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 wonโt include catching up on numerous emails and meeting notes.
โBy taking a moment to pause together, we were able to take a collective breath and remove the pressure to catch up upon return,โ said Tara Ataya, chief people and diversity officer at Hootsuite.
