Ask Timpo: should I close my office over Christmas?
Q: I’d like to shut the office between Christmas and New Year. Should I make employees take it as compulsory leave or give it to them for free?
Christmas isn't a happy holiday
for everyone
A: You might fancy a ten-day holiday over Christmas, but you may be surprised to discover a lot of people dread the idea of a long December break. Once the turkey has been turned into a casserole and then into a soup, some think it bliss to say goodbye to the relatives, head back to work and avoid the sales.
When I started work, we only took Christmas Day and Boxing Day off. The long Christmas break has crept in over the past 50 years. For some, it is a chance to go skiing. Others use it to catch up at the office without fear of interruption.
It sounds to me as if your mind is made up – your colleagues will be off work whether they like it or not. Expect real resentment if the break is treated as holiday. Be generous – add two days to the annual holiday entitlement and, if you don’t already do it, introduce my favourite perk: give everyone their birthday off.
John Timpson is chief executive of high-street cobblers Timpson. Do you have a pressing question for agony uncle Timpo? Send it to editors@realbusiness.co.uk
Picture: source