[desdiv]

What do you guys think of the idea of companies giving their employees the option of taking (up to) one year long unpaid sabbaticals?

It would cost the company next to nothing, and it would be a preferable alternative to the employee quitting due to stress or burnout.

For the employee it significantly lowers their risk of unemployment. They can either 1. go to a better company, or 2. return to their old company.

In the case of US companies, there's also the added benefit of the possibility of the employee and employer coming to a mutually beneficial arrangement on maintaining the employee's healthcare plan during the sabbatical.

[Puer]

In what world would that cost the company "next to nothing"??? That person isn't going to be working for a year. The company either needs to hire someone else to replace them, which is an expensive process, or lose the productivity for that position for a year.

[desdiv]

I apologize if my suggestion was stupid. I'm just trying to get a discussion started here, that's all.

It would cost the company next to nothing, in my view, because the steps the company has to take is almost exactly the same:

1. Employee quits. Company immediately looks for a replacement. One year down the road, when the company is expanding, they have to look for another worker.

2. Employee goes on sabbatical. Company immediately looks for a replacement. One year down the road, when the company is expanding, they first contact the sabbatical guy if they want to come back, and if not they have to look for another worker.

In scenario 1, the company pays for the cost of two hirings with 100% certainty. In scenario 2, worst case the company pays for the cost of two hirings; best case the company only pays for one.