Nine Days Away From Keyboard Initiative

At Intrust IT, we understand the importance of taking time off to recharge and refresh, just like Ferris Bueller did in the classic film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Every year, we select one critical item within the company that we need to focus on to improve the company overall. For 2023, we felt that our employees’ well-being was the critical item that needed to be addressed. We noticed that in 2020, 2021 and 2022, our employees felt like they were stuck in a daily grind typified by the movie “Groundhog Day.” We wanted them to break out of that malaise, so we implemented the “Nine Days Away From Keyboard” initiative. 

As you might guess from the title, this initiative requires all employees to take at least nine consecutive days away from work, during which they are not allowed to check email, voicemail, chat messages or have any communication related to work.  For most employees, the nine days will consist of five PTO days Monday through Friday, book-ended by two weekends.  To help support this initiative, we also increased the PTO allotted to every employee. 

Anybody? Bueller? 

Taking a break from work, just like Ferris did, can have numerous benefits for both employees and the company. For employees, it can reduce stress and burnout, improve work-life balance and increase productivity and creativity when they return to work. Research has shown that employees who take regular vacations are more productive, have fewer sick days and are more engaged in their work. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that companies that encourage and support employee vacation time have lower turnover rates and higher employee morale and engagement 

Additionally, the Nine Days Away from Keyboard initiative can also benefit the company. It allows employees to come back to work with renewed energy and fresh perspectives that we hope will lead to improved performance and productivity.  We believe that employees who take regular vacations have lower levels of stress, greater job satisfaction and are more productive when they return to work. Additionally, it allows other employees to step up and take on more responsibility, which can be beneficial for team building and development.

Take a Break

Ferris might have said it best: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” At Intrust IT, we understand that taking a break is essential for both our employees and the company’s success, and we can’t wait to see where this new initiative takes us. 

Would you like to join our team of employee owners and have a nine-day break built in to your job description? Check out our open positions.