How giving employees paid breaks increased our profitability by 492%!⏱️

19 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this presentation, the speaker shares that after implementing paid, intentional breaks for staff at their tax firm, the company saw a 492% increase in profitability over three years. The speaker explains that during these breaks employees are explicitly told not to think about work, which leads to greater focus and productivity when they return. The speaker extends the argument to line workers, advocating that they should also be paid for breaks because scientific evidence shows productivity rebounds after rest. The speaker also notes that small business owners, such as car wash operators, struggle with retaining line workers, positioning paid breaks as a potential solution to that retention challenge.

Chapters

The 3 years following me implementing this within our tax firm, we increased our profitability by 492% by giving them breaks on the clock, intentionally saying, I actually do not want you to think about work during this time period, because if you do that, I know that when you come back, you're actually going to give me more focused time. With the line workers, it's going to be similar. I'm suggesting you actually pay them. They shouldn't necessarily suffer because the science says they can be as productive again, When I think about the car wash owners I've spoken to, one of their biggest headaches seems to be keeping that position employed.