A medical information company located in Georgia, USA has been providing long weekends to their employees. The company also conducted surveys to track its workers’ well-being and make sure that they aren’t being pressured to work. But are these wellness days effective?

Companies can show their appreciation for their employees by providing pop-up vacations. LinkedIn, an American business and employment-oriented internet website, conducts quarterly polls on the status of its employees during the pandemic. The company’s international human resources vice president Lisa Finnegan said: “People were working longer hours, not taking their vacation time and just churning through. We had a successful, productive organisation, but we knew our employees were being burnt out.” LinkedIn’s technique in giving surprise day offs such as Friday rest days or days without meetings received positive feedback from its workers. Workplace wellness expert Jamie Gruman stated that the element of surprise implies that the company cares for its employees because it doesn’t have to provide surprise holidays but does so nonetheless. Of course, doing so has its drawbacks, too. Short notices may cause unreasonable stress to workers—especially parents—because they may potentially disorganize their schedule.

Long weekends and sudden holidays do have their benefits for the wellness of the employees, but it is only effective if the workers trust the intention of their companies. Bottom line is, companies must also prioritize their employees’ well-being aside from their mission and vision.