Summer Break: Taking Time Off at Team PA

Next week, Team PA will be on Summer Break. I’m hoping that everyone truly takes time off to relax, restore, and rejuvenate in their own ways. I hope we all miss each other a little and come back refreshed and ready to hit the ground running.?

We instituted this new people policy for several reasons:

1. The organization and our employees will benefit from everyone taking a break: it’s a win-win. Some of the most important things in life often feel like the least urgent: these are the things we can take for granted, like our family, our friends, and our wellness. And it’s those very things that can help bring us back to the best version of ourselves, filling our cups, helping us feel connected and grounded. Those are positive effects that our team and our organization will experience by taking a break, resulting in better productivity, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. It will also reduce burn-out, result in physical and mental health benefits, and hopefully lead to better well-being overall.?
2. We needed a policy that resulted in an actual break. As a leader, I noticed that many of my employees were using PTO to take their kids to an appointment or other obligation, using hours at a time rather than several days. I also noticed that employees were rolling a lot of PTO over to the next year rather than using their time, with more and more stacking up each year. By shutting down our entire organization, the policy can serve its purpose, and work will come to a halt for everyone. It reduces overall operational disruptions with synchronized time off and allows the whole team to manage their workloads accordingly.?
3. This benefit gives Team PA a leg up. As a small nonprofit organization (fewer than 20 people), this policy gives us a competitive edge, and it immediately says a lot about our organizational culture and that we prioritize work-life balance. I hope it helps us attract and retain top talent, adding one more reason to why Team PA is a desirable place to work.?
4. I care about my team. I’m a believer that words and actions matter, and while I express and show my care for my team on a daily basis in many different ways, this is one way we can say thank you and demonstrate that we care about our people and their well-being.??

While I may be a bit of a workaholic at times, as President & CEO, I know how important it is that I model taking time off. So next week, when you get an “out of the office” message if you email anyone at Team PA, I hope it makes you rethink some of your own organization’s people policies; I hope it inspires you to prioritize rest for yourself; and, yes, I hope it makes you feel just a tad jealous of Team PA being such a great place to work.?

Happy Summer Break, from your friends at Team PA.?