This seems like an awesome benefit that I could support, especially since it is linked to tenure, I think that helps managers and staff. Also, as a manager, I'm way more invested in retention than having everyone available all of the time. It is harder to loose someone that has been there 5 years and really knows what they are doing than to let that person take a sabbatical or other type of leave for 6 months (at least in my org). Not to mention, it is just healthy.
Thanks for reading and for sharing your perspective, Miter.
The piece about retaining "tenured" employees is interesting. I'm wondering what you'd think if you heard that 25% of people who went on sabbatical don't come back. This happened in a study, and the researchers argue that this type of turnover is good.
I can see this issue from different perspectives. Managers, as you've suggested, like retention and recognize the costs (not just financial, but knowledge and continuity) of turnover. On the other hand, there may be a cost to retaining employees who'd rather work somewhere else.
Yes, that makes it tricky, but I'd rather someone take some time off, realize they need to do something else and then do it! But if you have to wait 6 months without someone and then they leave, then that really sucks, because you've lost 6 months. But I still would prefer to have a work culture that allowed for conversations about transitions, life changes, and taking longer breaks and guiding people in the direction that they want to go, even if it is with a different org.
Loved the plays on words and dry humor in this piece, Bob. 🤣 And a 400% reduction like that only occurs in dreamland.
On the serious side, the sabbatical concept sounds great for employee renewal, self-improvement, engagement and loyalty (maybe we should call them “development months”) but it’s probably no coincidence that companies offering them are big and very prosperous. For less flush companies, cost could be a problem, but even a partial salaried sabbatical may be attractive to employees. And yes, cross-training is so important on many levels.
The good news is, as we boomers get out of the picture, I think creative benefits like this are going to be implemented in the workplace as the younger generations transform workplace culture and re-evaluate the role of work in their lives.
Keep up the great writing, Bob-always provocative, insightful and witty!
Thanks for appreciating the wordplay and humor. 😁 Of course, that's just plain fun for me. But I hope it adds interest to these topics — at some point, if not immediately — for folks who might not otherwise explore them.
You're right about the companies I listed as being mostly large employers and apparently flush with $$$ . It would be unrealistic and unempathetic to push sabbatical on, say, mom-and-pop businesses. And I agree that partial salaried sabbatical may be attractive to *some* employees.
Actually, the research I found on sabbaticals included "unpaid" sabbatical. I 100% omitted it. I'd call that Unpaid Leave. Lumping it in with paid sabbaticals, in my opinion, is something like a false equivalency.
Thanks for your support! For a future article, I'm currently collecting some testimonials from dishwashers (e.g. how they feel about "doing what you love," etc.). I think you (and others) will enjoy it.
This seems like an awesome benefit that I could support, especially since it is linked to tenure, I think that helps managers and staff. Also, as a manager, I'm way more invested in retention than having everyone available all of the time. It is harder to loose someone that has been there 5 years and really knows what they are doing than to let that person take a sabbatical or other type of leave for 6 months (at least in my org). Not to mention, it is just healthy.
Thanks for reading and for sharing your perspective, Miter.
The piece about retaining "tenured" employees is interesting. I'm wondering what you'd think if you heard that 25% of people who went on sabbatical don't come back. This happened in a study, and the researchers argue that this type of turnover is good.
I can see this issue from different perspectives. Managers, as you've suggested, like retention and recognize the costs (not just financial, but knowledge and continuity) of turnover. On the other hand, there may be a cost to retaining employees who'd rather work somewhere else.
Yes, that makes it tricky, but I'd rather someone take some time off, realize they need to do something else and then do it! But if you have to wait 6 months without someone and then they leave, then that really sucks, because you've lost 6 months. But I still would prefer to have a work culture that allowed for conversations about transitions, life changes, and taking longer breaks and guiding people in the direction that they want to go, even if it is with a different org.
Makes sense. Thanks, Miter!
Loved the plays on words and dry humor in this piece, Bob. 🤣 And a 400% reduction like that only occurs in dreamland.
On the serious side, the sabbatical concept sounds great for employee renewal, self-improvement, engagement and loyalty (maybe we should call them “development months”) but it’s probably no coincidence that companies offering them are big and very prosperous. For less flush companies, cost could be a problem, but even a partial salaried sabbatical may be attractive to employees. And yes, cross-training is so important on many levels.
The good news is, as we boomers get out of the picture, I think creative benefits like this are going to be implemented in the workplace as the younger generations transform workplace culture and re-evaluate the role of work in their lives.
Keep up the great writing, Bob-always provocative, insightful and witty!
Thanks for appreciating the wordplay and humor. 😁 Of course, that's just plain fun for me. But I hope it adds interest to these topics — at some point, if not immediately — for folks who might not otherwise explore them.
You're right about the companies I listed as being mostly large employers and apparently flush with $$$ . It would be unrealistic and unempathetic to push sabbatical on, say, mom-and-pop businesses. And I agree that partial salaried sabbatical may be attractive to *some* employees.
Actually, the research I found on sabbaticals included "unpaid" sabbatical. I 100% omitted it. I'd call that Unpaid Leave. Lumping it in with paid sabbaticals, in my opinion, is something like a false equivalency.
Thanks for your support! For a future article, I'm currently collecting some testimonials from dishwashers (e.g. how they feel about "doing what you love," etc.). I think you (and others) will enjoy it.