Will employees stay for the ‘breakup leave’?

Will employees stay for the ‘breakup leave’?

A survey among American workers has found that ‘hangover leave’ is the most sought after benefit (23%).

The research, carried out by YouGov for an equal pay software company Trusaic, also found support for perks such as ‘breakup leave’ (time off when a romantic relationship ends) (17%), ‘pawternity leave’ (already offered by some UK employers, for when staff take on a new dog), social media detox days (12%) and even compassionate leave after a sports team has suffered defeat in a major event.

Perk retention

The survey is about a wish-list rather than reality, a tongue-in-cheek response from employees about the benefits they’d like to see.

But there’s a serious issue behind the story: in the post-pandemic age of restless employees looking for quality of life and more rewarding roles (combined with angst over the cost-of-living crisis), the pressure is on for HR and benefits teams to keep employees feeling settled and motivated. In the US, 48 million staff moved on to another job in 2021, and there are reports of two jobs for every single candidate coming forward.

How loyalty works

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “With the Great Resignation and the increasing war for talent, there’s a temptation to look to eye-catching perks. Something new and different, without the need for increasing the salary budget.

“What the difficult days of the pandemic showed again and again was how much people appreciated human support from their employer — that they could be trusted to have their back, doing their best to keep them in work, staying in touch.

“Through all the new anxieties, employees want to be sure they can trust their employer, they will be listened to when they have issues, there will be a fair and reasonable response. And EAP services continue to be the backbone for organisations in this way.”