Deloitte's Jessica Muhlenberg
What company launches a two-tiered sabbatical program in a down economy? Deloitte does! And with great success, I learned yesterday when I got an update from Jessica Muhlenberg, Senior Manager of Benefits.
A previous post described the kick-off of Deloitte’s two sabbatical offerings for US employees:
1. Four weeks of unpaid and unrestricted time off. Offered to any employee who has given at least six months of continuous service and has good performance ratings.
2. Three to six months of time off to pursue career development or volunteer experiences. Offered to high performers who have been with the company for at least two years, this sabbatical offering comes with 40% of base salary.
In June 2009, Muhlenberg reported that the company had received seven applications, one approved, and lots of interest. That was a nice beginning for what was to come. So far, 50 employees have gone on sabbatical!
Here are the highlights of the conversation with Jessica:
- Of the 50 employees who have gone on sabbatical, 40 experienced the one-month sabbatical and 10 utilized the longer sabbatical of 3-6 months.
- Deloitte is especially pleased with participation since the program crosses all business units – tax, audit, accountancy, etc.
- A best practice has been established for asking their Talent Delivery folks to be open-minded when considering whether a proposed activity for a 3-6 month sabbatical would meet the requirement for career development or volunteerism. “We didn’t want to provide a specific definition of what would or would not qualify for the sabbatical,” explained Muhlenberger. That’s great thinking, because there are SO many possibilities.
- Deloitte has experienced few challenges with program; doesn’t plan to make any changes; and wants to continue to focus keeping participation high.
- Featured sabbatical stories on the company’s very active intranet lets employees know how others are utilizing their sabbatical experiences and creates interest.
Jessica provided a thoughtful, no-nonsense answer for my last question, “What’s the best business outcome for Deloitte?” She said: That it continues to be perceived positively as part of the Total Rewards Program; that it continues good success as a viable option for employees at Deloitte who want to step out. 
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Continuing the Discussion
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