A small business in Victoria, B.C., says it plans to keep its doors closed at lunchtime so store employees can take a much-needed break – a common practice in some countries but a rarity for most retailers in Canada.
The Makehouse Co-op, a worker-operated fabric store and sewing instruction studio, closes Tuesday through Saturday from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
“It’s an opportunity for us to sit down and take a break,” Tanya King, the store’s co-owner, told CBC Radio On the island Hosted by Greg Craigie.
“Because if we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of our customers and our students.”
The cooperative has been closed for lunch since January, shortly after workers took over. The company recently posted about it on social media.
The decision sparked some controversy, King says, but most feedback from customers has been positive.
King says she doesn’t know of any other businesses, especially small retailers like hers, that are doing the same thing. But she hopes the concept catches on.
“We hope other companies do the same,” King said.
“There is a kind of consumer culture here. I think people are used to being able to just go to the store and buy whatever they want, whenever they want.”
The importance of breaks
Health experts say that even a 10-minute break can improve a person’s mental and physical health.
Katharine Coons from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) told Dr. Brian Goldman, CBC host The dose, that more frequent breaks throughout the day have a better effect on our well-being than a long one.
Coons suggested taking a 10- to 15-minute break every hour to 1.5 hours. The most important thing, she said, is to do something different from work tasks.
Other health experts suggest staying away from social media and trying to exercise.
King says during lunch breaks, employees turn off the music, turn off the lights — and don’t talk about work.
“We allow ourselves to slow down and smell the roses a little,” she said.
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