2007 year end wrap up

Things are very quiet around here because Leadership Network has a tradition of closing down the office for the entire week between Christmas and New Year's Day! It delights the staff, many of whom would perhaps have taken vacation days, and those who would be left over may not be very productive. (let me say, THANK YOU, Leadership Network! I'm so happy to work with you all!)

This practice of closing down offices for the duration of Christmas week isn't entirely unique to us. According to this article, December: Vacation-heavy Month Light on Attendance -- New Survey Reveals Many Employees Taking Time Off during the Holiday Season, 18% of employers close down for Christmas week. We are not alone!

For businesses and organizations that don't give this week off, 32% of respondents take off that week by using vacation days. But, of those who do that, 27% do it because their company doesn't let them carry over paid time off from one year to the next.

Could this be a trend? Not really. CNN reported last year that paid time off for the holidays beyond the days of Christmas and New Year's has been steadily declining for the past two decades. The good news is that 49% of companies gives employees year-end gifts or bonuses.

Now rested and restored, you're going to see more insights and stories of what innovative churches are doing as well as an inside look at what we learn in our work as a "church-growth think tank." Thanks for being a part of our blog readership!

-- DJ Chuang