'It feels very natural giving them time off,' said co-founder
E-commerce retailer Cakes Body is seeking to expand its paid time off benefit from one month to two months in a bid to give back to its "very dedicated" workforce, according to reports.
Cakes Body, which has roughly 30 remote employees across the United States, has been giving employees a month-long PTO as part of its efforts to create a better work culture.
CNBC reported that the organisation wants to expand this month-long benefit to two months after the company saw exponential growth this year.
"We wouldn't have been able to achieve this level of growth without a team that was very dedicated," said Taylor Capuano, chief creative officer and one of the co-founders of Cakes Body, as quoted by CNBC.
"It feels very natural giving them time off."
Cakes Body's month-long leave is dubbed a quiet period where employees take time off so they can recharge, according to a separate CNBC report.
Last year, its month-long PTO began in December 15 and ended in January 15, but employees have been preparing for it as early as August.
During the quiet period, employees were not allowed to hold meetings, except for those overseeing daily operations who may do a weekly check-in and send updates in Slack.
Employees worked with their managers to come up with a coverage plan for their time off and had to define their short-term goals and de-prioritised ones that could be pushed off until after January.
The company also adjusted their sales forecasts for January and February to be lower than usual to avoid burnout among employees.
"I know the feeling of getting ready to go on vacation, and it's like, 'Well, I just worked overtime this whole week to prepare for my vacation next week, so it's kind of a wash,'" Capuano previously told CNBC. "But because we prepared so far in advance, and we're able to help prioritise what needs to get done through the end of the year, it's not really been the case."
Adjusting the sales forecast also helped ease the pressure on employees who might feel like they're already missing their numbers when they come back to work.
The owners of the retailer also shared their strategy of a "12-week year," where the company identifies only one goal to accomplish per year that can be broken down to tactical goals each quarter.
Casey Sarai, CEO of Cakes Body, told CNBC that the 12-week year allows them to "identify how many 'good' ideas are actually a distraction and hinder growth."
"Saying 'no' to 'good' ideas is a core part of our culture and the reason for our rapid growth," she said.
The company's moves to focus on one goal that employees can focus on before taking their month-long leave has resulted in a nearly eight-fold growth for Cakes Body, where it reached $75 million in annual sales from an initial $10-million annual sales.
Employees of Cakes Body previously told CNBC about their plans during their extended time off, such as writing books, taking up pottery, catching up on TV, as well as sleep and home organising.
Cakes Body wants its employees to get a clear and recharged mind when they get back from their month-long break.
HR services firm Canal HR, Inc said having employee vacation benefits can offer employees "seismic shifts in their mental health."
"This PTO helps circumvent the adverse effects of overwrought stress levels on the body and mind, leaving employees feeling better both physically and mentally in the long run—reducing out-of-pocket healthcare costs for both employees and employers," it said on LinkedIn.
The benefits from employee vacation packages also extend to organisations, according to Canal HR. It noted that employee vacation benefits can introduce a variety of recruitment and retention gains for organisations.
"Fostering a company culture that prioritises employee well-being provides the most significant ROI: retaining invaluable in-house talent and prioritising systemic longevity instead of relentless, disruptive turnover," it said on LinkedIn.
"It also reduces absenteeism and bolsters employee morale, leading to greater productivity and innovation."
