COMMITMENT
1
Improve the Quality of Life of our employees safely
A sabbatical leave improves employees’ quality of life and motivation At the beginning of 2019, Sodexo introduced a Nordic policy for employees to take a sabbatical leave. This milestone was based on employees’ changed expectations and Sodexo’s desire to evolve as a modern and attractive employer. This Nordic policy supports the wider Sodexo initiative FLOW (Flexibility Optimizes Work). – We were thinking about how we could improve our employees’ quality of life and what people want and expect from their employer today. When surveying what things people value in an employer, we have found that the top question has been whether the employer offers a better future. We believe that knowing of the option of taking a leave in itself improves employees’ quality of life, even if they Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2019
have no immediate need for a leave, Inkeri Puputti, HR Director in Finland says. Various life situations can cause a need to take a sabbatical leave: a loved one may fall ill and the employee wishes to stay home to care for them, or an employee’s spouse may leave on a foreign assignment and the employee wishes to go with them. Or an employee may wish to spend time in their native country or study. Employees commit to employers that provide opportunities to develop through different career stages, in addition to offering interesting work. Taking a sabbatical leave requires that the employee has been in Sodexo’s service for thee to five years, depending on which country the
employee works in. The maximum duration of the leave is one year. An employee taking a sabbatical leave is expected to have the intention of returning to Sodexo after the leave. The time of the leave is agreed upon with the employee’s line manager. A sabbatical leave meets needs that are normally not met by statutory and collective agreements, such as job alternation leaves and study leaves. – People have primarily used the leave for travelling and spending time with their families. The goal is for the employee to return from the sabbatical leave with improved commitment, motivation and know-how, Puputti says. .
