Sabbatical programs increase employee retention
Do you have employees that work hard, overtime when needed, and that you would never want to lose if you could avoid it? If you don’t already offer a sabbatical program for your employees, it may be a great thing to consider offering as a benefit. This benefit gives your full time employees much needed time off that they may not get otherwise. This time off can have strong mental health benefits and otherwise for employees, while also giving your business the benefit of increased employee retention.
In other words: by giving your employees the ability to schedule as little as two weeks off as a benefit, you’ll give your employees a mental boost and they will be less likely to quit. This can be a benefit that employees earn after a certain amount of time employed at your company, or offered at hiring as a recruiting strategy. This sabbatical program can be paid or unpaid, it all depends on your business.
“Stress derails our focus and memory while relaxation and time off leads to better memory, ability to focus, and boosts creativity. Taking days off work can give employees the mental break they need to stay productive at work. In fact, 84% of managers reported employees’ increased productivity after a break,” as explained by Total Brain.
Linkedin further explains the benefits to businesses by reporting that, “a sabbatical program can improve a company’s employer brand and boost retention. Employees at Clif Bars, the California-based energy bar company, always rank the sabbatical among their most important perks. Which helps explain why turnover at the company is less than 3%.”
Sabbatical programs can be symbiotic to both businesses and employees. Offering employees the ability to schedule a break will help you attract top talent, keep them happy, and ultimately retain them. Customize the program to your business. Offer a week at hiring, and another day every year of employment, or just two weeks at hiring. Turnover and training new employees can be costly, so why not invest in your business' greatest asset, the people you employ?
