In large parts of the world, July and August are billed as the months we all collectively exhale. But for many employees, they’re anything but restful.
Childcare disappears. Deadlines don’t. Inbox guilt piles up. And while organisations proudly promote “flexible working,” what that often translates to is:
“Just make it work.”
In reality, summer exposes a structural truth many workplaces prefer to ignore: rest isn’t just about time off – it’s about permission, systems, and culture.
Portugal Gets It. Kind Of.
Here in Portugal, something fascinating happens in August: the country shuts down. Not metaphorically – literally.
Try booking a tradesperson, visiting a manufacturer, or chasing a quote in the second half of August. You’ll either be met with silence or a handwritten “Closed for August” sign taped to the door.
The Portuguese, when they’re out of office, are out of office. And honestly? It’s kind of glorious. A national act of boundary-setting. An unspoken social contract: now, we rest.
Unless, of course, you’ve just driven 90-minutes to test those special taps you wanted. In which case, ‘Closed for August’, is, well, a little less glorious.
But there’s something to learn here. Because while other countries are busy romanticising hustle culture, Portugal simply… stops.
Rest vs Reality
The idea of summer as a time to recharge is nice in theory. But it assumes a lot:
- That people have the flexibility to take time off.
- That they can afford the logistics of childcare, travel, or family care.
- That they’ll return to work without a backlog so overwhelming it erases any benefit.
This season can actually add pressure – especially for parents, caregivers, expats trying to visit family overseas, or employees in client-facing roles who can’t disappear just because everyone else has.
And when the pressure rises, flexibility policies are put to the test. Do they support people? Or subtly punish them?
When “Flexibility” Backfires
Too often, flexibility is offered in theory but penalised in practice. People feel guilty logging off. Teams who cover for others burn out. Leaders say, “Take all the time you need” while still replying to emails on a beach.
That’s not flexibility. That’s confusion wrapped in contradiction.
What Future-Ready Work Looks Like
Some organisations are doing things differently – and not just in tech.
- Slack shuts down company-wide for a full week each August and offers Summer Fridays to all employees.
- PwC UK gives people early finishes on summer Fridays, with no pay cut—popular especially with working parents.
- Henkel Iberia launched a “Disconnect to Reconnect” campaign encouraging true digital disconnection during August holidays in Spain and Portugal.
- Unilever New Zealand tested a 4-day week with no pay loss. Productivity held steady or improved—and the pilot is expanding globally.
- Patagonia, a retail and outdoor brand, encourages long summer breaks and outdoor time, even among shift-based teams. Their culture famously prioritises surf breaks over screen time.
These aren’t gimmicks. They’re deliberate efforts to rework the structure of time, expectation, and trust. And they’re paying off—in retention, in wellbeing, and in real performance data.
A Moment of Reckoning
The way we treat July and August says a lot about whether we’re truly adapting to the realities of modern life and work—or just pretending to.
Summer can be a time to catch our breath. But only if organisations have the courage to step off the treadmill themselves, and stop designing around the assumption that people are machines who can simply recharge overnight.
About WellWise
WellWise is a global provider of workplace diagnostics, specializing in identifying and managing psychosocial and cultural risks that impact employee wellbeing and organizational health. Aligned with international standards, including ISO 45003, WellWise offers organizations a clear understanding of their workforce dynamics, providing evidence-based insights and actionable strategies for sustainable growth. For those ready to strengthen their organizational foundations, WellWise offers the clarity and support needed to thrive in a changing world.