Does anyone in the UK really ‘take August off’? Everything you need to know

Summer is a popular time for employees to make use of their annual leave allowance, with August traditionally marking the height of the UK summer and the month when most children are on their school holidays.

In continental Europe, taking all or part of August off from work is a common strategy to make the most of the longer summer days and take a much needed rest. But do any UK businesses take this same approach?

This article will explore approaches to working in August for UK businesses, looking at common practice in other countries and explaining how to implement similar policies in your business.

What does it mean to take August off?

Taking August off refers to businesses winding down for the month – either closing, operating at a lower capacity, or encouraging more staff to take time off. Some businesses change their approach for the whole month, while others make alterations for a fortnight or so.

This could be for a few reasons. Businesses in countries that are traditionally hotter in August may temporarily close so owners and staff can avoid the heat and tourist crowds. If such companies are clients of UK businesses, those UK businesses may find it makes sense to wind down operations during that time too.

Other businesses may take this approach to August working to benefit parents who are juggling work and the school summer holidays. It can also help to reduce the chance of staff burnout, boost morale, and support talent retention. Making the most of longer and lighter days and – hopefully – better weather are other perks.

What is the UK’s working culture in August?

Taking August off is not common practice in the UK. According to the ONS, just 5% of UK businesses reported that they “temporarily paused trading” in August 2023, and not all of these businesses did so for recreational reasons.

In terms of sectors, hospitality businesses like cafes are likely to operate as usual as it’s a busy period for families and holidaymakers – the only exception would be if hospitality business owners choose to close to take their own summer holidays during this time.

For office-based companies, working to specially-designed summer hours is a more common practice than a full-on August shutdown. This might involve dialling back your operation, working shorter days, encouraging staff to use annual leave, or even taking Fridays off completely.

This is an even more common approach for businesses with a lot of clients on the continent – where taking time off in August is much more conventional – but also clients elsewhere to continue working with.

Those that do choose to close for the entirety of August may do so for many reasons. With work life balance being promoted more than ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, many business owners may feel such a break helps to support mental health and reduce the risk of burnout – this consequently lessens the chance of sick days later down the line, too.

Other companies take a different approach to a quieter August. While fewer people are working elsewhere, many businesses use the downtime to conduct assessments on processes, and do admin-heavy internal tasks like annual reviews and pay reviews.

Read more: can employers dictate when their employees go on holiday?

How do other European countries’ approaches compare?

Taking August off in continental Europe is much more common – in part because of the extreme heat. In Spain, for example, many companies cease operations for the month or change their working hours so they start earlier and then finish earlier.

In France, it’s very common to find notices in the windows of bars, cafes, and restaurants informing passersby that they are closed for a few weeks in August, or even the whole month. This is typically due to business owners taking their own holidays – and this practice is common in Italy, too.

While not in August, businesses in Sweden have an ‘industrial break’ for weeks 28 to 31 of the year, meaning they take most of July off.

I’d love to take all or some of August off at my business – what’s the best practice?

If you like the sound of changing your working hours in August, there are a few things to consider before implementing a policy. You should consider:

• Why do you want to do this?
• Will it be compulsory?
• If it is compulsory, will you make employees use their annual leave allowance to cover it?
• Will you need a small team to work during this period?
• Who will be the emergency contact?

If you decide to close down your business completely for a period of the month, it’s a good idea to have an on-call team should an urgent matter arise.

In addition, it’s best practice to let your clients know that you are shutting down, even if they will be closed too – remember to provide them with a point of contact in case they need to get in touch.

If you are unsure how best to make these changes at your company, speak with senior managers or even create a forum where employees can anonymously give their point of view on the matter – this can be as simple as writing their thoughts on a piece of paper and putting it in a box, or a digital variant of this solution. This will give you a good feel for whether or not it would be a popular policy.

Once you have decided on a policy, update staff handbooks and employment contracts, and ensure that all employees understand the changes.

Make it clear whether this policy change will impact the sum of annual leave allowance they can freely use, and be open to conversations with staff who may have questions or concerns.

Remember to examine the potential impact that an August shutdown would have on the business before committing to it, looking at how detrimental it might be to revenue and whether the benefits would outweigh those costs.

Read more: find out how to set up a holiday purchase scheme, or enable staff to carry over annual leave.

Final thoughts

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to taking August off for UK businesses, so take some time to consider whether this could be a positive change for your company. Consult with managers and employees when formulating your policy, and be mindful of your customers and any financial impact to your business.

Remember, it’s important to inform your employees and update contracts and handbooks as soon as you make a decision on your August working policy.

Kirstie Pickering - business journalist

Kirstie is a freelance journalist writing in the tech, startup and business spaces for publications including Sifted, UKTN and Maddyness UK. She also works closely with agencies to develop content for their startup and scaleup clients.