Recent research from The Sabbatical Project, a collaboration between the University of Notre Dame and the Templeton Foundation’s Templeton Religion Trust, found that workers who take extended time off from work reap profound rewards.
Employees who took sabbatical leave or extended time off reported three major benefits of the pause: stronger relationships with their loved ones, greater satisfaction with their lives and higher comfort and appetite for change going forward.
At Instacart, the rewards of extended time off are clear. Instacart’s Four Year Fill-Up program offers an opportunity for an extended time of rest and rejuvenation — usually around four full weeks for employees with around four years of tenure at the company. Vice President Michael McLernon says the company recognizes both the need for rest and the rewards of taking it.
“Our Four Year Fill-Up program is designed to allow employees to take some time away so they can return to work recharged and energized, and we’ve seen just that with our employees who have returned from the program,” McLernon said.
Creating successful programs for employees to take extended time off requires good management and preparation. At Instacart, employees preparing for their Four Year Fill-Up have a comprehensive toolkit with guidance for preparing, scheduling and enjoying their time to the fullest.
Built In San Francisco sat down with McLernon to learn more about how Instacart creates opportunities for employees to completely unplug during their extended time off.
Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America.
What sabbatical opportunities are available to team members?
At Instacart, we encourage our tenured employees to take longer breaks and truly unplug by doing something they love, typically for four consecutive weeks at around the four-year mark. Our Four Year Fill-Up period recognizes the hard work and dedication of our employees who have been with the company for four or more consecutive years.
What benefits have you seen as a result of employees taking sabbaticals?
Our Four Year Fill-Up program is designed to allow employees to take some time away so they can return to work recharged and energized, and we’ve seen just that with our employees who have returned from the program. Whether it be traveling to a bucket list destination or simply being a tourist in their own city, Four Year Fill-Up encourages our employees to completely unplug and take time to do something they enjoy.
Whether it be traveling to a bucket list destination or simply being a tourist in their own city, Four Year Fill-Up encourages our employees to completely unplug and take time to do something they enjoy.”
We’ve heard great feedback from our team members who have returned from their Fill-Ups, not only feeling rejuvenated but also returning with fresh new perspectives to support the company. On the flip side, it also provides growth and learning opportunities via stretch assignments for our employees who are early in their tenure at Instacart.
How does your company allow employees to truly unplug while on sabbatical?
We want our employees to feel empowered and fully prepared to take the time. To help ensure they can truly unplug from work, we have developed a comprehensive toolkit to help employees partner with their manager to schedule their extended time off, templates to communicate with teammates and partners as well as tips and inspiration on how to spend their Fill-Up.
We also encourage our employees on their Fill-Up to turn off all work notifications. We find this helps with resisting the temptation to check emails, Slack messages, etc. Upon returning to their roles, employees also find tips about transitioning back to work in the toolkit.
