For HRs
Globally, employee burnout costs $322 billion
– State of Work-Life Wellness Report
75% of workers have experienced burnout
– FlexJobs
Workplace stress costs the U.S. economy > $500 billion each year
– APA
36% of organizations aren’t doing anything to help with employee burnout
– Eagle Hill Consulting
Benefits
“Research suggests that one answer is to take a sabbatical — an extended break from your job lasting long enough for you to truly distance yourself from your normal work life. The rigorous study of professionals who took a sabbatical found that people largely experienced significant, positive changes in their work and life.”
– Harvard Business Review, 2023
Enhanced Employee Retention
Over 75% of people who were offered a sabbatical by their companies returned.
– Harvard Business School study
Stronger Employer Brand
Six weeks is 11.5% of a teammate’s productivity time in the year of their sabbatical but only 2.3% of their overall five-year journey with Buffer. That math was helpful to put into perspective that the overall benefit to the company and our teammates’ health and growth were well worth the cost.
– Courtney Seiter at Buffer
Positive Workplace Culture
While staff are free to do what they want during the two-month stint, the company hopes that it will be used for personal development or as a chance to work on community projects at home or abroad.
– Millie Reeves at Hunter Selection
Financial Results
Sabbatical programs enhance employee satisfaction and loyalty, decreasing turnover. Replacing employees is expensive, often costing 1.5–2 times their annual salary due to recruiting, training, and onboarding expenses.
Engagement and Productivity
When people came back, they were excited to come back. Their minds were clear, they were able to solve problems and approach work in a different way and point of view.
– Amy Bohutinsky
Team Resilience and Cross-Training
People don’t leave very often at Deeson- that’s a great problem to have. We want to recognise and reward the people who are sharing this journey with us and build a sustainable model with them. Giving sabbaticals at the five-year mark allows us to honour the long-term relationships we’ve built so far and give them firm foundations for another five years.
– Tim Deeson at Deeson
Companies with a Sabbatical Program include: Patagonia, Microsoft, Ralph Lauren, WISE, Bank of America, Adobe, PayPal, Deloitte, PWC, REI, Pinterest, Facebook, Johnson & Johnson, Slack, and many more…
