Most companies will give their staff a couple of days, maybe a week’s break during the holiday season, but on December 15, Cakes Body went one step further by giving their team a whole month of paid time off (PTO). Their break period will last until January 15, intended as a quiet period for staff to enjoy some flexibility in their schedule.

Cakes Body and Finding Flexibility

Co-founded in 2022 by 32-year-old twin sisters Taylor Capuano and Cayset Sarai, Cakes Body is an e-commerce brand that sells nipple covers. While their business has seen surprising success, they only left their previous corporate careers because the jobs didn’t give them enough flexibility, especially after they became moms.

Of course, the Cakes Body company provides nipple covers designed to fit over the nipple to serve various valuable purposes. The seemingly innocuous product can be beneficial, from aiding breastfeeding recovery to providing extra coverage and chafing protection for specific clothing. 

However, another major inspiration behind the business was to create a company that prioritized flexible schedules and useful PTO.

“Not only did we want to create this product that could be helpful for women,” said Cakes Body CEO Sarai, “but we really wanted to create a better work culture for ourselves and our team.”

As Capuano said, “Time doesn’t necessarily equal progress.”

Planning Ahead for the Quiet Period

While it certainly seems enticing, a whole month off for a company’s entire staff requires a significant investment in preparation. Cakes Body staff were preparing for this moment back in August. Capuano explained that everyone figured out the goals to get them to December 15, especially for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the rest of the holiday shopping season, and deprioritized what could be pushed until mid-January. After this, staff worked with management to figure out individual PTO plans.

“I know the feeling of getting ready to go on vacation, and it’s like, ‘Well, I just worked overtime this whole week to prepare for my vacation next week, so it’s kind of a wash.’”

The hope is that, during the quiet period, staff will have time to reset, spend time doing what they want, and come back more ready than ever. 

“Anyone who doesn’t need to be working will not be working,” Capuano said.

“It’s funny,” Sarai said, “a few of [the staff] were trying to schedule meetings over the quiet period, and I had to tell them to stop.”

No Meetings, No Burnout

Part of the premise of the quiet period is that all meetings are canceled. Those who oversee daily operations might do weekly check-ins, but otherwise, work will be handled by contract customer service representatives and a third-party fulfillment center. This way, customers can still receive Cakes Body products during the quiet period. This way, employees don’t get burnt out and won’t feel behind when they return.

“It wouldn’t really be a helpful month off if everyone was going to feel pressure that we’re going to come back January 15 and we’re already missing our numbers,” Capuano said.

Plans for the Future and Industry Implications

Implementing the quiet period has created unique challenges, but ultimately, Capuano and Sarai feel that the decision will be worth it. In fact, they plan to implement a second month-long quiet period in the future.

“To do twelve months of work in ten months isn’t a crazy thought,” Capuano said. “You just need to plan for it.”

Effectively, Cakes Body is experimenting with new ways of finding greater employee fulfillment. If this initiative works for them, “quiet periods” might be adopted in other companies that can afford it. As a company, Cakes Body is making room for its employees’ well-being, passions, and lives outside of work. If the team can hit their quarterly goals next year, they’ll consider it a success.

“If we meet or exceed them, this is a huge success,” Capuano says. “If we’re falling short, maybe there’s a little more planning involved.”