I close my Engineering Consulting company for the last week of the year and first week of the year, and have for the last 10 years or so. Employees love it.

This "vacation close-down" is easier in a country with 5 weeks of paid vacation, but there are always 3-4 days of national holidays in that 2 week time period.

We arrange for engineers to be on-call for clients were we have contracts for daily system maintenance. This "easy money" job is always chosen by folks with no or grown kids. Everyone else loves knowing that they have the same two weeks each year to visit family/be visited or just kick back and relax.

As an employer (and previously employee), I know from the many years prior that virtually nothing happens in these two weeks anyways. It is really a win-win for the company and the employees with no downside for the clients.

[edit] typo