This blog was originally posted on our sister site Getwork.
Ho, ho, holidays! Christmas parties are over, employees have been wearing festive jumpers for weeks, and the Secret Santa gifts have been exchanged. But what now? Are your team off between now and New Year or are some of your team still in work?
More and more organizations are closing shop for a full week, especially when employees are office-based. But what’s the benefit for businesses?
Why open?
The last week of the year is typically not very productive for businesses. Offices that remain open are not operating at 100% and neither are the employees that don’t take any leave. Is it really necessary to stay open just in case a client calls or a new deal comes through? Probably not.
For a lot of businesses, it makes sense to shut down completely for the holiday break. Of course, this isn’t possible for every organization — and it’s tough for the non-exempt, customer-facing workforce — but for salaried employees with standard operations, it’s certainly a possibility that has a great return on investment for the company.
How can closing down shop have a good ROI?
“Businesses that urge workers to take time off to relax, recuperate and recharge typically have lower health care, workers’ compensation and turnover costs, and they benefit from higher productivity and employee engagement levels,” notes a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) article titled Employee Vacations Are Good for Business.
You’re likely already paying for employees to be off for Christmas and potentially Christmas Eve, too. Embrace the spirit of giving and allow employees the whole week off. They’ll get five days to themselves and you’re essentially only adding in three more paid days to what you’re already providing.
Why closing the office is good for employers and employees
Office shutdowns over the festive break can have a big impact. Here are a few key reasons.
It’s good for employee mental health
Employees get a well-deserved break from the stress of day-to-day life to enjoy time with their loved ones. They come back in the new year healthy, refreshed, and productive.
Did you know that encouraging employees to take time off during the holidays and throughout the year can reduce turnover costs by up to one-third?
It’ll help you attract great talent
Every company needs ways to attract the best talent and being able to say you close each year for the festive break can be music to applicants’ ears.
Holiday bonuses or a Christmas turkey are nice gestures, but a no-strings-attached week off with zero emails flowing in allows people to truly disconnect. It shows employees you believe in work-life balance because actions speak louder than words.
Because employees are off at the end of the year, they can use their PTO for other important things throughout the rest of the year, whether for vacation, family time, or illness.
You don’t have to pay office utilities for a week
Turn down the furnace, dim the lights, and turn off the computers. Your utility bill will look great when you get it next month!
Bottom line: Your customers likely won’t be in their offices anyway, and if they are, they certainly won’t be eager to sign that record deal before the year’s end. Isn’t it time to consider closing the doors for a few days and giving your hard-working employees the time off they deserve?
Happy holidays!
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