Why Every Agency Should Give Their Team Two Weeks Off at Christmas

The run-up to Christmas when you work in an agency is no joke. Clients want everything wrapped up before the holidays. Timelines tighten. Expectations go up. You’re juggling final deadlines, last-minute requests, and trying to hit end-of-year goals – all while pretending you’re not one mince pie away from a breakdown 🥧.

It’s no surprise, really. Research shows that burnout tends to rise towards the end of the year, when workloads pile up and deadlines stack up. There’s pressure to finish the year strong, deliver great work, and somehow keep spirits high – even if your to-do list says otherwise.

But at Shape, we’re lucky. Really lucky.

Because having a proper break is part of how we work. We all take two full weeks off over Christmas. Phones off, laptops away, Slack on silent. Time to fully switch off, spend time with family and mates, and come back in January with some energy in the tank (and maybe half a stone heavier from all the cheese boards consumed 🧀)

Most places, you're lucky to get a few days here and there – or you end up using your own holiday allowance to piece together a break. At Shape, the two-week shutdown is on top of our annual leave. We get 28 days plus the Christmas break (and that’s not even including bank hols). It’s an unreal perk and every time we mention it to people, they can’t quite believe our job allows us to do this.

Because Andy and Jason knew from day one that the agency model was broken in places. Too many people feeling burnt out. Too much pressure. Not enough proper time to breathe.

As a growing web design agency and branding agency, they were adamant that they didn’t want to build a business that ran people into the ground just to deliver great work.

So they made a call: Shape shuts down over Christmas. That means no emails, no client calls, no work.

They wanted us to rest properly, knowing the agency would still be there in January – and that when we come back, we’re happier, and better at what we do. And it works. Every single year.

We know that kind of rest is coming, so we want to finish the year strong. November and December were full-on but in a good way – we wrapped up some huge projects we’re super proud of, building all our websites in Craft CMS as usual.

Anyway, here’s what the Shape fam got up to over Christmas 🍷👇

Andy spent his Christmas break doing what matters most to him – quality time with his two girls, Ruby (11) and Roxie (5). Family traditions were in full swing, including consuming lots of traditional Polish cabbage, a festive staple passed down from his grandparents on his dad’s side. It wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

There was plenty of family time, party games, and the annual trip to the panto (Peter Pan in Bolton this time). In between all that, Andy was busy getting organised for a house move – all while having to endure Manchester United being the absolute pits. A humbling experience to say the least.

Jason had one goal this Christmas – to just relax. And that's exactly what he did. No hosting duties for once, so he could simply turn up, eat, drink, and enjoy the vibes (3kg heavier and he’s not even mad about it 😂). He booked a few cottages near Clitheroe with the fam and was appointed Chief Film Picker – he got some good reviews for this role, apparently.

Highlights included taking his nephew on a train ride (he’s obsessed with trains), letting him test out his new balance bike, and getting out on loads of crisp winter dog walks. Things took a bit of a turn when he decided to tackle Pendle Hill at 8am… and somehow went the wrong way. His legs are still sore🦵.

Tom celebrated four years with his partner Katy over tapas at El Gato and cocktails at Arcane – strong anniversary choices, 10/10 date night.

He also ticked off a major wedding milestone – buying the shoes he’ll be walking down the aisle in (exciting!). The rest of the break was full of quality family time and looking after his two cheeky monkey nephews. And just when you thought it couldn’t get more wholesome, Tom baked a loaf of sourdough that came out of the oven right as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve. Dedicated or just a bit pis*ed? 🍸 Who knows 🤷‍♀️.

Ella had a jam-packed break that included hosting a Traitors-themed dinner party – yes, she was Claudia, and yes, the costume included a wig, cloak and dramatic eyeliner. Safe to say we're all a bit obsessed with Traitors at Shape, so an office-themed version might have to happen at some point… 👀

She became an aunty (huge congrats!), visited friends in Harrogate, and somehow celebrated four birthdays in just three days. In between that, she redecorated her bedroom with ‘hotel vibes’ as the brief (smashed it), went on dog walks (some relaxing, some featuring a 7-month-old spaniel with a dead rabbit in its mouth), and got obsessed with Monopoly Deal – thanks to Jay introducing it to her on our Dublin Xmas trip. She then rounded off the break by being ill in bed for a week with what was probably COVID 🤧. Classic.

Jo started her break with a new tattoo – a strong choice to end the year. Christmas Day was proper chill: Bucks Fizz, a bacon and turkey sandwich to start the day, and then a big festive meal later on. Her partner gave her the ultimate gift – a mushroom bull terrier pot – quite literally the perfect present when your two favourite things in life are mushrooms and bull terriers.

She got properly into the festive baking spirit and made a chocolate log, then headed off for a few slow, cosy days in Lytham filled with fresh air, tasty food, and dog walks. Back at home, she finished watching Welcome to Derry, and spent a serious amount of time glued to the sofa with her four-legged pal, Dipper. That’s what Christmas is all about 🛋️

Mike spent a lot of time on his bike (no surprise there), but even more time in soft play centres and parks with little Rosie, who turned THREE on Christmas Day – a proper double whammy. Christmas and birthday presents on the same day? It’s only going to get more expensive from here 😅.

He took her to the SUPERMASSIVE lights show in Manchester, which was magical, and found out the gender of baby number two at a 4D scan. He also caught up with a mate visiting from Brazil, and made approximately 44,567 visits to Milk Maids for ice cream. Milk Maid’s ice cream is a firm favourite at Shape (IYKYK).

Nick went all in on the festive spirit this year – we’re talking three full Christmas dinners, a daft Christmas suit (see below 👀) and enough food to feed a small village. He channelled his inner handyman by trying soldering for the first time and successfully fixed his keyboard. Just as he was riding that high, his TV decided to pack in on Christmas Eve. Great timing.

Despite the telly drama, Nick still made the most of it – there was karaoke, quality time with the fam, and scenic strolls with a very tiny dog 🐶.

Joe’s Christmas also kicked off with a bit of drama – his car broke down en route to Wales while visiting his grandparents (awful timing). But every cloud has a silver lining… in this case, a Jaguar F-Pace. That was his rental car for the rest of the holidays, and according to Joe, it was absolute class. He’s not thrilled to be back in his usual wheels.

As always, Christmas Eve was the big one – a massive annual pub crawl with his mates. The rest of the break was filled with good food, good company, and a lot of eating and drinking with family and friends. United played badly (nothing new there), and he made up for the disappointment with long walks with Dave 🐾 and some life admin – like picking out a new bathroom in the Christmas sales.

And now, he’s a sourdough guy. Joe started baking bread over the holidays, thanks to Tom handing him a starter. Tom’s started a bit of a sourdough cult at Shape – we’re fully expecting them to bring a few loaves into the studio at some point 🍞.

And then there’s me ... Kerry 👋. I celebrated my mate's birthday on Mad Friday in Manchester, which took a bit of a turn when some woman stole my phone. Yes, my work phone. The brand new iPhone 17 Pro. I managed to track her (and her fur coat) down, only for her to lob it in a public bin. And yes… I actually scrambled through it to get it back. Embarrassing scenes. The police turned up mid-bin dive, caught the woman, and now I’m due in court as a witness. Solid start to the holidays 😂

A few days later, I went into town for what was supposed to be a chilled one – bit of food, a few pints of Guinness in Mulligans, and yet it somehow turned into being out until stupid o’clock in the morning. Standard.

Christmas Day was lovely though – spent it with the fam. Mum broke her wrist a few weeks before (convenient timing, Mum 😉), so it was down to me and my dad to cook. Pretty sure we smashed it. Played loads of games, laughed a lot, and ate everything in sight. Then rounded off the break with my brother’s birthday – darts night and a cheeky 2-0 win for Everton vs Forest. Up the Toffees 💙