In alignment with our ongoing commitment to fostering a sustainable work environment, Educopia is implementing another planned office closure during the week of November 25-29, coinciding with the fall season. This closure follows our summer break in July, where we experienced firsthand the benefits of a systematic, organization-wide pause. By dedicating seasonal breaks to rest and rejuvenation, we aim to better support our team and, in turn, enhance the quality of service and support we provide to our partners and communities.
“The office closure was a great decision and I fully support moving past this pilot and implementing seasonal week-long closures to ensure that everyone gets that time away without worrying about coming back to a busy Slack or email backlog!” – Educopia Staff Member
Attending to the needs and rhythms of the knowledge landscape, planned breaks allow smaller organizations like ours to manage workload demands proactively and prioritize the mental and physical well-being of our staff. Taking these pauses is not only beneficial for employees but also improves the quality and consistency of our work. We have found that when we have dedicated downtime, we return to our roles re-energized, more focused, and better equipped to meet the needs of those we serve. Here are a few takeaways from our pilot closure:
We believe in the power of planned org-wide breaks
At Educopia, we know that our team is the heart of everything we do. Our employees are our greatest asset, and we believe in nurturing their well-being just as much as we do our work with our clients, partners, and peers. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to schedule intentional breaks—because by carving out time for rest, we help our staff recharge, reduce stress, and prevent burnout. These breaks have created the spaciousness that our team needs to return feeling more balanced, rejuvenated, and ready to tackle challenges with renewed energy. When everyone feels supported, we all do our best work.
We make space for creativity and focus
When we take time to rest, we give ourselves the gift of clarity and inspiration. Studies show that a well-timed pause helps increase motivation and creativity, making us more effective and engaged when we come back to the work at hand. A refreshed team is an empowered team—and that’s good for everyone.
We are able to better serve our clients and communities
The benefits of well-timed breaks extend beyond our internal team to the partners and communities we work with. Rested, energized staff are able to give their best to our mission of connecting diverse knowledge communities with resources, power, and each other, by bringing more focus, innovation, and consistency to the work we do together. These scheduled closures also allow us to model what it takes to create healthier, more sustainable work cultures. By prioritizing these regular moments of rest, we’re aligning ourselves with forward-thinking organizations that understand the value of well-being in the workplace.
“I thought the closure was great—it really helped to manage expectations and reduced the amount of catching up required when coming back from the office, and also reduced the amount of slowdown we have over the summers as everyone’s vacations are staggered.” – Jessica Meyerson, Co-Executive Director.
While Educopia’s periodic office closures are part of our ongoing commitment to mindful, sustainable growth, we’re so excited about the opportunity to return, recharged and ready to continue our work, starting December 2. If you’re considering a similar approach for your organization, we’d love to connect and share our experiences. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]!
