Bumble’s new employee policies is everything that is right with the corporate world
All hail the great resignation and companies doing right by their staff
Recently, the dating app company announced the following staff perks:
- A company-wide paid week off twice a year
- Unlimited paid vacations with a minimum
- Not requiring staff to come back to the office
- Access to coworking arrangements if they do not have a suitable work from home situation
- Minimum six months of leave for birth, adoption or surrogacy
- 15 days compassionate leave
There are a few more benefits and changes to their employee policies but I am stopping here as I am getting serious FOMO. Who wants to apply to work at bumble today?
The company has set a precedent when it gave its staff a full paid week off earlier during the year to recharge in light of mental health issues plaguing us during the pandemic. Aside from more than a year long stint of working indoors, the big event in 2021 has been to go or not to go (back to the office). Is the office really necessary for productive work or collaboration? Companies have mostly been on the fence about calling staff back to the office or promising a hybrid work situation. But in any case, the priority (at least along side employee wellness) will remain the client work or the projects.
Bumble’s announcement take things up to a different level, all these benefits and policies clearly state to me, we care about our employees above all. This is how to attract talent, truly. This is how you incite career conversions. The great resignation upholding America is a clear sign that people are fed up and will not take half-baked measures however much they like their job. It seems like Bumble paid attention and said we are listening.
Few years ago, my friend’s grandfather died. He worked at a bank in London and got the news on the Friday at the office, his grandpa was in India. This friend is one of the most hardworking persons I know, one of those who would give up weekends to finish a piece of work. Being very close to his grandfather, he immediately emailed his boss saying he is taking time off and took the next flight out. His boss was not happy with the last-minute change to the work which had to be delivered and made sure he was aware of this dissatisfaction when he came back (also at performance review). This is how brutal the corporate world can be.
What the great resignation is creating is nothing short of a revolution. I never understood how you are supposed to truly live a full life, take care of family, have hobbies, have kids or even plan to have kids in whichever way you and your partner decide, make long-term decisions, finally start that garden project in the span of a few weeks of vacation a year? I find the few weeks of paid holidays we corporate servants are bestowed upon are mostly used to recover from the stress of working, pressured deadlines and office politics.
Remote working or at least a fully well-thought flexible plan with the employee at the heart of the policies is the way to the future of work. You can retain talent without forcing archaic company culture. Bumble is first on the leader board. Let’s see who is next.
