‘Take the Time’: Why Kendra Scott is making the day after Mother’s Day a company holiday

“We believe it is incredibly important for our Kendra Scott family to be able to feel successful both as working professionals and as parents, friends, spouses, dog-moms and dads – you name it!”

Kendra Scott, a fashion-meets-philanthropy accessories brand with more than 2,000 employees and products sold in department stores, boutiques and more than 100 independent stores across the country, announced this year that the Monday after Mother’s Day would be treated as a corporate holiday as part of its “Take the Time” program, with the headquarters closed and other employees receiving time and a half pay for the day.

We caught up with Beth Ley, VP Total Rewards and Home Office HR, for more on the program and why it’s so important that moms — and everyone else — take time for themselves. Answers have been lightly edited.

What was the inspiration behind the “Take the Time” initiative? And why specifically connect it to Mother’s Day? 

Our Kendra Scott workforce is 96% female (many of whom are working mothers). We believe it is incredibly important for our Kendra Scott family to be able to feel successful both as working professionals and as parents, friends, spouses, dog-moms and dads – you name it! We see, value and celebrate the whole person, not just the person that is in the office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This initiative was brought to life by a team, for a team to remind everyone to carve out time for themselves and to make self-care a priority!  

Why go as far as making it an additional holiday for all employees? 

Family has been a core pillar at Kendra Scott since our inception in 2002, and we continuously look for ways to support our Kendra Scott families. As a brand, we often show up in unique and unexpected ways. We like to be bold around things that we believe in!  

How has the pandemic exacerbated some of the challenges of parenting, and why should employers take an interest? 

It was incredibly disheartening to read the statistics of how many women were forced to leave their jobs or reduce hours during the pandemic due to a lack of childcare and homeschooling requirements. At Kendra Scott, we were so lucky not to see this happen because we as a company listened, leaned in, and learned about what our employees needed. Kendra made a sizeable donation to our Family Fund in which employees could request grants to help cover the unexpected increased cost of childcare. We were flexible and adaptable and provided support through virtual parenting groups, and other virtual classes like yoga classes and meditation.  

How might this initiative tie into or complement any other family- or parent-focused benefits the company does or is considering offering? 

At Kendra Scott, we offer a robust benefits package aligned to our pillars of Family, Fashion and Philanthropy. From our founding, Kendra has always maintained that she never wants a parent to “miss a soccer game or dance recital.” We have always leaned into flexibility and continue to do so. Our paid parental leave policies apply both to full-time and part-time employees. We also offer fertility and adoption benefits. 

In addition, in honor of our Philanthropy Pillar, each employee has paid time off to volunteer for local organizations that are near and dear to them. This benefit has allowed us to pour thousands of hours of service into our local communities each year.  

The “Take the Time” initiative follows 2021’s Kendra Scott Mother’s Day Personal Time Off Fund, which provided $2,000 each to 50 moms across the country. 

What is your go-to personal wellness move or a favorite wellness tip? (i.e. bubble bath, meditating, exercising, cup of tea) 

I believe that self-care is incredibly important, not only for myself, but for my family as well. I received excellent advice from my daughter’s music teacher and that was “in order for you to teach your child something, you must first learn it yourself.” Whether that be healthy eating habits, a second language, or self-care, children learn by seeing. We now use the verbiage in my home “Mommy is going to take some time for herself.” It has been very healthy for my daughters to see me do this. My current favorite go-to self-care routine involves a great ride on the Peloton followed by a bubble bath!  

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