As the American worker continues to recalibrate what work-life balance means in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown, an event which forced bosses and employees to “reimagine” work, a new phenomenon is beginning to take root – mini sabbaticals.
Much like college students who step away from their studies for a “gap year” to travel and see the world, adults in the workforce are starting to see the value in taking extended time off.
And many companies are leaning into those desires from their employees as a way to mitigate burnout.
Some of these breaks take the form of simply working remotely from a different city than usual. Sometimes it’s a leave of absence to recharge. And some actually quit their job completely and plan to get another when they feel rejuvenated.
“Companies are starting to realize burnout is an issue,” Kira Schrabram of the Sabbatical Project told the Indiana Gazette. Her organization seeks to help people create “a more humane relationship with work.”
The idea of an extended rest is literally a foreign one to Americans. Most Europeans get legally-mandated vacation days in greater numbers than what Americans receive at the discretion of their employer.
But the idea is starting to gain traction in the U.S., and a number of website have cropped up to help people navigate the rising cost of travel by offering a different avenue: housesitting. Sites like Holiday Swap, HomeExchange and Homelink help people get connected with other who might like to swap homes for a time to change things up and stay in a different city for a while.