LinkedIn staff to take week-long ‘well-being’ break from work

LinkedIn is allowing its almost 16,000-strong workforce to take an entire week off to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Almost all employees will enjoy this off. Calling it the ‘RestUp’ week, starting April 5, the staff will enjoy a week’s break from work. Since the whole office will be away, the employees will not have to worry about getting back to unanswered mails or fear work waiting for them on their return.

However, a core team will continue to work during the week, but will be allowed to take a week off later. Those employees who are likely to feel lonely during this week-long break will be offered an opportunity to volunteer for social work or to work for some worthy cause. This week-long paid break from work is aimed at allowing employees time to recharge and focus on their physical and mental well-being.

LinkedIn employees are expected to continue working from home until September. Even if ‘return to office’ is implemented, it is expected that the employees will work remotely at least half the time.

LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, which has been very sensitive towards the health and well-being of its employees during the pandemic. In fact, Microsoft’s October 2020 Work Trend Index report, revealed that about one-third of workers in India admitted increase in burnout during the lockdown. This is because employees had to tackle a new way of working, which became difficult with the boundaries between home and office being blurred.

Recognising that it can be very difficult for employees to take care of their elderly parents or young children, while working from home, Microsoft India had introduced paid pandemic school closure and childcare leave, which offers employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave to take care of children and their needs.