Last updated October 11, 2026
Closing your office the week between Christmas and New Year's is one of the simplest ways to give your team real rest. For many businesses that week is already quiet. Clients are away, approvals stall, and the people who do come in spend their days waiting on replies that won't arrive until January.
So why not make it official?
This year the calendar is especially kind. Christmas Day falls on a Friday and New Year's Day falls on the following Friday, and both are statutory holidays in B.C. (B.C. Government). Close Monday, December 28 to Thursday, December 31, and your team gets ten days in a row for the cost of four working days. One note for B.C. employers: Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday here, which surprises a lot of people.
Done well, a holiday closure is a gift. Done halfway, it's a week of guilt and inbox checking. Here's what the research says, and how to get it right.
What the research says about time off
Rest only works when people actually switch off. Researchers call this psychological detachment: stepping away from work mentally, not just physically. In a year-long study of 309 employees, people who detached during their off-hours were better protected from exhaustion and stayed more engaged at work, even when their jobs were demanding (Sonnentag, Binnewies & Mojza, 2010). A broader review found that low detachment predicts higher strain, burnout and lower life satisfaction (Sonnentag & Fritz, 2015).
There's a catch. The lift from time off fades fast. A meta-analysis of 13 studies found that vacations clearly improve well-being, but by the end of the first week back, people were close to where they started (TU Dresden meta-analysis). Longer breaks didn't make the effect last longer.
That doesn't make time off less valuable. It means how you close, and how you come back, matters as much as the closure itself.
Why closing for the week is worth it
It lightens the most stretched time of year
December asks a lot of people: family, travel, hosting, money, and for some, grief or loneliness. Asking them to also carry work in their heads makes burnout more likely. A true closure takes one big load off the pile.
Everyone rests at the same time
When one person takes vacation, work keeps moving and their inbox keeps filling. When the whole team is off, nothing piles up, nobody misses the meeting, and nobody feels guilty for being the one who's away. That shared pause makes switching off much easier.
People come back with fresh energy
A real break restores energy and focus, especially when people fully detach. The boost is short-lived, though, unless you protect the first week back. More on that below.
It builds goodwill that perks can't buy
A closure is a visible sign that leadership means what it says about well-being. It costs very little in a slow week, and people remember it.
A holiday closure is a trust moment
At KindCo, we look at trust through Charles Feltman's four distinctions: Care, Sincerity, Reliability and Competence. A holiday closure touches all four.
Care: You're putting your people's rest ahead of a slow week's output.
Sincerity: "Closed" has to mean closed. If people are told to rest but quietly expected to watch Slack, they learn that what leaders say and what they do don't match. That turns a gift into a source of cynicism.
Reliability: Clients and vendors need early notice and a clear plan for anything urgent. Keeping that promise protects their trust in you, too.
Competence: A smooth closure shows you can plan ahead. A smooth return shows you understand how people actually work.
This is why we don't recommend the "you're off, but stay reachable" version. If someone truly needs to be on call, name them, define what counts as urgent, and give them time back in January.
How to plan it: before, during and after
Before: give notice and skip the December cram
Announce it early. Tell employees, clients and vendors at least three weeks ahead. Early November is even better, so people can book travel.
Watch the week before. Research by Jessica de Bloom found that health and well-being actually dip in the last week before a break, as people rush to finish everything (The Psychologist). Move non-urgent deadlines into January instead of cramming them into December 21 to 24.
Decide what truly can't wait. Payroll or a critical system might need attention. Assign it to one person, keep it small, and let them take the rest of the week off.
During: make it a real break
Use one shared auto-reply with your return date and an emergency contact.
Name your on-call person, if you need one. Define "urgent" in writing and give them a day back in January.
Leaders go first. No emails, no "just one quick thing" messages. Schedule anything that pops into your head to send on January.
If you also have staff in Ontario, employers there with 25 or more employees must have a written right to disconnect policy (McCarthy Tétrault). Make sure your holiday plan lines up with it.
After: protect the first week back
Keep January 4 to 8 light. No major deadlines, fewer meetings, and time to clear inboxes. Diving straight into heavy work can quickly wipe out the benefits of time off (Scientific American).
Start with connection. A short team check-in, a shared breakfast, or a "what are we looking forward to this year" conversation helps people ease back in together.
Triage before you sprint. Sort tasks by urgency and importance using the Eisenhower Matrix, then tackle the right things first. (See below)
Plan the next break now. Because the lift from time off fades quickly, the research points to regular short breaks through the year. Put a few long weekends on the calendar while everyone is still rested.
When a full closure isn't possible
Retail, hospitality, healthcare and client-facing teams often can't close, and for some, this is the busiest week of the year. You can still offer the same benefits:
Rotate. Split the team so half takes the days around Christmas and half takes the days around New Year's, each with a solid block off.
Shift the break. Give the closure in a quieter week in January or another season.
Bank the days. Let people who work the holidays take the same number of days later, with no strings attached.
Whichever you choose, the same rule applies: whoever is off is fully off.
Give the gift of a real break
If it works for your business, close the doors and mean it. A rested team that comes back to a calm first week is the best start to the year you can give them.
Planning a January kickoff to bring your team back together? Book a consultation or explore our Trust Workshop.
Sources
de Bloom, Making Holidays Work, The Psychologist (British Psychological Society)
Vacation Fade-Out: Back to Work with a Thud?, Scientific American
Ontario Passes the Working for Workers Act, McCarthy Tétrault
If it works for your business, give the gift of quality time with loved ones this holiday season. A restored and re-energized team will help you kick off the new year with a positive start.
