Rethinking the Two-Week Vacation

You thought sabbaticals were only for professors? Think again. Fast Company featured Rally Software for taking the idea of rewarding employees to the next level.

What’s the purpose? On the surface, sabbaticals seem like a nice perk that can encourage long-term loyalty as employees look forward to a long, uninterrupted break with full pay. However, Rally has seen a deeper connection: trust. How do sabbatical programs create trust?

As employees shift out of their position for the allotted time, two things happen: 1) other employees take on new responsibilities, and 2) the employee on sabbatical learns to trust that others will execute just fine without them. This has the potential to allow fresh ideas to thrive and allows younger employees to explore other positions within the organization.

The numbers don’t lie; Rally has had success in implementation, getting 80% of their eligible employees engaged in the program. Currently only 23% of U.S. companies offer sabbaticals and of small medium enterprises, only 17%.  As employers look to build a positive organizational culture, sabbaticals might be a good way to create a competitive package, given that not many others offer sabbaticals, as well as attract bright talent.

At Rally, employees who have worked for seven years are eligible for six weeks of fully paid leave. Seven years is an extremely long time to stay with a company these days, but when you provide deeper purpose and the opportunities for growth, perhaps it’s not such a long time at Rally.

What about you? If given the chance, where would you go on sabbatical, and why? Would this work in your organization? Let me know in a comment below.