One week off on behalf of the company. This is what the professional networking platform LinkedIn prescribed for its more than 15,000 employees to promote their well-being and avoid burnout. Will other companies follow in their footsteps?
The professional social network LinkedIn gave almost all of its 15,900 full-time employees this entire week off, as it seeks to avoid burnout and allow its workers to “recharge their batteries,” the company told AFP.
The firm, owned by Microsoft, pointed out that the “rest”, of the week that began this Monday, is destined to give employees time for their own well-being.
“There is something magical about the whole company taking a break at the same time,” LinkedIn said in response to an AFP query. “And the best part? Not going back to a barrage of unanswered internal emails.”
During the week, LinkedIn will provide employees who feel isolated the option to participate in daily activities such as volunteering for worthy causes through “random acts of kindness,” according to the company.
“A core team of employees will continue to work during the week, but will be able to schedule time off later,” LinkedIn said.
Major tech companies were among the first in the US to embrace working from home last year to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, and most have yet to fully reopen their offices. Twitter has extended remote work indefinitely.
LinkedIn doesn’t expect employees to start returning to their offices until September, and plans to let them work from home half the time as standard practice.
Microsoft bought LinkedIn in mid-2016 for $ 26.2 billion in cash, entering the world of social media and adding a new tool to its efforts to boost business services.
