As leaders, we often find ourselves balancing the needs of the business with the well-being of our team. One powerful way to show appreciation and help your team recharge is by giving them the gift of time off. In the following excerpt from Entrepreneurial Trinity, Brian and Mary Jo Sullivan share how they created a lasting tradition of extended holiday breaks for their team—along with a productive office cleanup—to kickstart the new year with energy, organization, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Shut Down Christmas Week

“One particular year, I personally felt it the most and thought the team might be feeling it too. So, I decided to shut the office down from Christmas Eve through January 2nd, fully paid. The intent, which worked tremendously, was to allow everyone to be with their loved ones, get some rest, and come back refreshed for the new year.

With the paid holidays of Christmas Eve and Day as well as New Year’s Eve and Day, I was really only adding three additional paid days off but giving the team ten straight days off. Since the office would be closed and we all would be off at the same time, we would have very few work interruptions, proving to be much more valuable than typical PTO. We could all really disconnect, myself included. This worked so well the first year that we made this an annual benefit.

To help set ourselves up for success in the new year, we would trade three hours of work for three days off—it’s amazing how much unnecessary ‘stuff’ we can accumulate in one year. We would all spend one evening in the office before the Christmas break, cleaning and reorganizing. First, we worked through the common areas, conference rooms, file cabinets, closets, etc., and then each of us would attack our desks. We’d order pizzas and have a beer or two while keeping the mood light but incredibly productive.

The feeling we all had on January 2nd when we returned to a clean, organized office to start the new year was an incredible boost to morale and productivity. It was well worth the three days of revenue, especially since it was typically a slow month for revenue anyway.”

Taking time off and returning to a well-organized space can do wonders for your team’s morale and productivity. By setting up an annual tradition like this, you not only allow your team to recharge but also ensure they return to the office ready to take on new challenges. As Brian and Mary Jo demonstrate, investing in your team’s well-being creates long-lasting benefits for both them and the company. For more leadership insights and strategies, explore Entrepreneurial Trinity.