When Applica was still an idea, we already knew we wanted to be a company that goes above and beyond, not just in terms of technology and client service, but also when it comes to taking care of our employees. With decent medical coverage and wellness-related benefits often the norm in our sector, we opted to look further into benefits that can truly help our team members live their lives to the fullest. In this post we will talk about a very special benefit we’ve incorporated into our employment model—Extra Paid Leave. It’s exactly what it sounds like: extra days off, with pay, if you need them.
Why did we decide to make this a part of our benefits package? Quite simply, our entire business is founded on the idea that a company is made up of its people—and people need harmony in their lives if they are to do great work. Our people do amazing work, which is why they need to rest easy. After all, work cannot be everything in a well-lived life. We never lose sight of this. That is why the idea of “work-life balance” is high on our list of priorities, both in our own lives and in our role as employers. Relationships, community service, hobbies, new interests, travel—all this requires attention, space, and time. We realize that some folks require more time than others, or more time than last year, or more time than the standard amount of paid leave the state guarantees. Hence our decision to adopt Extra Paid Leave. In our view, it’s what some employees need—and it’s as simple as that.
How does it work? If you are an Applica employee and you’ve used up all your allotted paid leave, but you still need some personal time to rest and recharge, you simply talk to your Team Leader and your co-workers to make sure they’re set to hold down the fort without you while you’re away. You decide how much time you need and then you step away to take care of yourself without sacrificing your paycheck. And this isn’t just in theory: since we introduced this practice in September 2021, a number of our employees have gone on Extra Paid Leave when they felt it was what they needed.
Some people are skeptical. It sounds too good to be true, they say. Where’s the catch? How do you keep workers from abusing this privilege? As a matter of fact, there’s no catch. Instead, there is mutual trust. Because it’s true that a benefit like this one can only work if an employer trusts the employees (and vice versa). To us, it is obvious that people need balance in their lives and plenty of safety from the risk of professional burnout. Especially brilliant, driven people, who proved they can push themselves to the limit by getting far enough to get a job with us in the first place. But we are not here to exploit people’s talent and effort. We exist to help talent and effort grow, so that all of us—company and employees and partners and clients—end up better off because of the work that we do as a team. So whoever needs extra personal time is entitled to it. Our employees don’t abuse this privilege, because they want to work for Applica. And because they appreciate the way our company respects that self-care should never translate into less pay.
Extra Paid Leave is a rare perk across all industries, but our experience demonstrates that in our sector it benefits both the employee and the employer. It is one of the innovative practices we’ve adopted to make our people’s lives better. And that it makes the work better, too? This comes to us as no surprise. After all, the right solution is usually the right solution because it solves more than one problem at a time, creating value and opportunity in the process.
Interested in joining the Applica team? Apply to our open roles or send us your CV. We look forward to hearing from you!
