Over the past two years, Covid has shone a spotlight on the importance of our safety, health and overall wellbeing. Spending time with family and loved ones has become even more precious as the pandemic has drastically limited our ability to do so. On top of this, we are working in a very competitive environment and the work we do requires our full concentration.
That’s why it’s so important to remember that taking time off work is vital — it reduces stress, recharges our batteries, and makes us happier!
In August 2021, Zalando granted a collective week off (or as we called it, Zacation) to reward all employees for the great work that was achieved under such difficult circumstances. As a Finnish employer we wanted to take this one step further because we know that a healthy work-life balance is the most important thing for our people. We decided to go above and beyond what our local Annual Holidays Act states, so we’ve done away with an ancient local rule which deducts a Saturday for every 5 days of annual holiday. I’m happy to say that what this all really means is that now, 30 days of collected annual holiday really means 30 weekdays off (with no deductions) or in other words one extra week of paid holiday!
This has been one of the greatest projects I’ve worked on during my 5 years at Zalando, and I can honestly say that I am very excited that it’s becoming a reality. I also want to say a huge thank you to the HQ teams who supported making this happen!
Enjoy your time off, Zelsinkis!
