‘We’re putting the power back in our employees’ hands’: Why a marketing tech company is giving employees a paid week off

The new summer break is open to all U.S. employees and won’t impact paid time off. Kinesso clients and partners have already been given the heads up about the company’s decision, Hooda said.

“Our people stepped up and delivered when we needed them,” she said, flicking at staff productivity during the pandemic. “So why shouldn’t we do the same when it’s our turn, as a business, to step up and deliver for our people?”

Fortunately for Kinesso, the company has been able to maintain its employee turnover rate, which has hovered around 18-20%, for the last few years thanks to initiatives like the ones Kinesso currently has in place, per Hooda. Glassdoor reports 2020 turnover statistics at 57.3%.

That’s not to say that the company hasn’t felt the impact the pandemic has had on work. In fact, Hooda said, the summer break initiative comes after employee feedback reported feelings of stress and burnout as the line between work life and personal life became more blurred during the pandemic lockdown.

Wu Mahmood, senior vice president of addressable strategy and activation at Matterkind, said burnout isn’t typically an issue. But in light of the pandemic, it’s been a struggle and the additional time off is welcome.

“The week off is a reminder that our people are our most important asset and by prioritizing their mental health we as an industry will be able to better service our clients,” Mahmood said.

Should a client have a need during that time off, Yerddy Lanfranco, vice president of analytics and marketing sciences at Kinesso, said it’ll be on a case-by-case basis as to how it’s handled.

“I try to be present in all aspects of life, thus when I am taking time off to spend with my family I try to be true to it and enjoy it,” Lanfranco said. “COVID has shown us that life is short and that we need to create memories that will always live with those who we loved the most.”

Across the industry, employees are grappling with blurring work-life balance lines in light of pandemic lockdown. And with the rise in Covid variants, the industry-wide conversation around perfecting the balance between productivity and employee wellness shows no signs of slowing down.

Per previous Digiday reporting, 60% of employees agreed that taking “mental health days” was important. However, the average worker last year left seven unused days of vacation on the table. 

“[Kinesso’s summer break] is a recognition that additional time off only works when everyone can take a break at the same time to truly disconnect,” said Marla Kaplowitz, president and CEO of the 4A’s. “If the old saying ‘Work hard. Play hard’ is embraced, employees need to take advantage of the vacation days offered to rest and recharge.”

For Kaplowitz, adland cannot afford to overlook employee well-being as it’s directly related to productivity, and it goes for both agencies and their client’s expectations of ad staff, she said.

“It’s a positive sign that we’re having these conversations as we’re not the only industry reconciling with the accelerated pace of work and expectations due to remote working,” she said.

Ultimately, Kinesso is bolstering itself, bracing for the “turnover tsunami” expected to hit as employees start looking for new jobs post-pandemic, according to the Society of Human Resource Professionals.

“We’re putting the power back in our employees’ hands,” Hooda said. “I think if we take care of our people, they will step up and do the right thing for the business.”