Several companies pressured by the slow- down are resorting to pay cuts, deferred bonuses and even harsh layoffs as a knee-jerk reaction but there are a few smart ones who are looking at creative methods such as sabbaticals to cut costs and retain high performers.
Take a career break and return replenished and rejuvenated is the new mantra.
Sabbaticals are seen as a healthy way to keep the human resource pool intact, build employee loyalty and morale in these difficult times. These are initiatives aimed at creating strong employee engagement and cater to their need for career growth and development. The idea is that once the employee returns, he adds value to the organisation. Also, once the economy revives, companies have a ready-made pool of talent to fall back on.
But what are the options open to employees once they decide to opt for a sabbatical' Well, they can go in for further studies, give back to society by working part time with an NGO or simply enhance their capabilities by going in for further training. However, HR experts warn that sabbaticals make sense so far as they are a voluntary option and not a method being used by a company in lieu of downsizing.
After all, there is a difference between being 'forced' and being 'allowed' to go on leave.
It makes sense to go in for a sabbatical if one's benefits are intact and one is guaranteed a job after being off for months.
Take the case of software services firm Wipro that is offering sabbaticals and reduced workdays to benched employees, those not engaged in any specific project. The company has recently introduced two programmes - Project Enrich and Project Rejuvenate. The former allows benched employees to work 10 days a month at 50 percent of their cost to company They will be absorbed back once deployment opportunities come up. The scheme has already enrolled 1000 of their employees.
Project Rejuvenate is open to some senior employees and allows them to take a sabbatical for one to one-and-a-half years. They will be offered 25 percent of their CTC.
According to Isaac George, General Manager, HR, Wipro. "We find the sabbatical programme mutually beneficial. These two programmes provide an opportunity to currently unutilised employees to use their time and resources in productive pursuits. Mostly employees utilise the opportunity for pursuing higher studies or to work in the social sector By getting enrolled in this programme, they could use their time to expand their horizon(s), professionally and personally thereby preparing them for a more rewarding future."
Infosys, too, has announced a sabbatical package called the Community Empathy Programme. An employee availing of can take sabbatical from the company and work for a social cause, all the while earning 50 percent of her/his original salary package. The Infosys policy on sabbatical for community service has been created to encourage participation by Infoscions in community development initiatives. Very often, employees who may want to participate in social action initiatives hold themselves back because of various commitments - work, family, financial etc. Through this policy Infosys will accept requests from up to 50 employees who will be supported by the company financially, as they go on a sabbatical for community service for up to a year.
Post this period the employees will return to the regular job structure at Infosys. "Our effort to offer employees financial and job security while they work on development initiatives is an extension of Infosys' commitment to society and community We have seen tremendous response and positive feedback to this initiative within the company," says H R Director T V Mohandas Pai.
"A sabbatical is a good idea because it can enable employees to take time off to enhance their capabilities, to educate themselves. It also gives companies an opportunity to retain employees and helps them tide over the bad phase together," he adds.
As for KPMG, the company will soon introduce a sabbatical policy, part of its Employer of Choice initiative. "We believe that learning should be an ongoing process and hence we actively think of ways to enhance our knowledge pool.
Our 'Continuous Education' programme not only offers our people a chance to take time off to study, but we also reimburse a portion of their academic expenses, as long as the course adds value to their role with the organisation. The sabbatical policy aims at creating a strong employee engagement benefit to support and enable employees in their need for an extended time-off from work to cater to their development and personal exigencies," points out Shama Asnani, Manager, HR, KPMG. Maruti too has a sabbatical policy in place, applicable to both engineering and management employees.
Source: The Hindustan Times
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