Year-end company breaks gaining traction

Lee Shulin got to spend quality time with her family, including preparing her two children, aged four and seven, for the new school year from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day.

Everyone else who worked at Aslant Legal, the legal recruitment firm she founded, also went on break – all without applying for annual leave.

“I was motivated to give my team an extended week-long break, so that we can all start January well rested, ready and raring to go,” said Lee, 40.

Aslant Legal is one of several Singapore employers that have introduced company-wide breaks around the end-of-year festive period in recent years, above and beyond employee leave entitlements.

The firm went on break for the first time in 2023 and plans similar breaks in future, Lee said, noting that the time away from work is more than offset by the improved performance and morale upon return.

These breaks are usually put in place to ensure staff get to fully disconnect from work, especially those who answer to several people, who are all on different schedules, said employers and experts.

However, such breaks are more feasible for some sectors and job roles than others, so staff who need to remain at work should be given days off or other perks in lieu, they said. Global public relations consultancy Edelman Singapore is another employer with a festive break here.

Chief executive Julia Wei said the firm’s year-end office closure, in place since 2020, typically spans Christmas Eve through to the new year.

“Alongside recognising the team’s hard work for the year, this gesture also emphasises the importance of personal well-being and family time at the end of a work year.”

Asked if the practice was influenced by norms elsewhere, Wei said all Edelman offices worldwide implement office closure initiatives as appropriate, while ensuring clients face no disruption.

She added: “There are some exceptions where teams have to attend to clients’ ongoing needs and commitments during the break.

“In these cases, we have clear rosters and points of contact for continued work delivery, and provide compensatory time off for these team members to be utilised later on.”

“I was motivated to give my team an extended week-long break, so that we can all start January well rested, ready and raring to go.”

Lee Shulin