Now trending: Sabbaticals
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
More companies are offering sabbaticals and more workers are taking them, according to data from Gusto, a payroll platform.
The big picture: A tight labor market, remote work and Gen Z expectations are all driving the trend, Gusto chief economist Liz Wilke tells Axios.
By the numbers: The share of workers likely on sabbatical — defined by Gusto as someone who is off for three weeks or more during a two-month period — rose from 3.3% in January 2019 to 6.7% as of January this year.
- The trend among Gen Zers was even more pronounced, jumping from 1.7% to 8%.
What they're saying: "Gen Zers are taking a lot more advantage of that benefit because they really value work-life balance," says Wilke.
The bottom line: Employers with less scale and capital to woo workers than the Walmarts of the world are "trying to respond in ways that they can," which is why Wilke says smaller businesses are offering the perk.
- And for workers who struggle with feeling like they can't or shouldn't take vacation, sabbaticals take some of that pressure off because the "company basically decides that [they] take the time off instead," she adds.
