What Bank of America learned about employee happiness when it offered paid sabbaticals

Sometimes, when you launch a new employee benefit, uptake is slow. It’s hard to build awareness or buy-in, even if it’s a very strong offering. But as it turns out, that wasn’t true here at Bank Of America when we started offering folks paid sabbaticals to simply . . . not work.

In 2023, we launched a sabbatical program for long-standing Bank of America employees who had been with the company for 15 years or more. Fast forward to today, and more than 15,000 employees have already taken their time off. By the end of the year, we anticipate more than 21,000 employees will have taken a four- to six-week sabbatical. With this growing cohort to consider, here’s what we’ve learned so far.

Not everyone wants to climb a mountain

We were surprised to find that while a lot of people used their time to travel and take once-in-a-lifetime adventures (yes, someone went skydiving), many Bank of America employees chose to stay closer to home, hanging out with family, reconnecting with loved ones and friends or just catching up on everyday tasks. One of our teammates used her time to redo her driveway, and she was thrilled to finally check it off her to-do list.

My own sabbatical was largely spent connecting with my two young sons and hitting the tennis court and yoga studio, focusing on family and wellness. We hear more stories of “stay-at-home sabbaticals” than anything else, and employees have come back refreshed, recharged and appreciative of a long, peaceful break.

When leaders take their paid sabbaticals, it’s good for the whole team

A senior executive on our team recently took her full paid sabbatical to volunteer in Nepal and shared the experience afterward with the whole company. That sends a loud-and-clear message: Everyone has permission to take this time off. It’s not just offered, it’s encouraged.

According to Pew Research Center, nearly half of all U.S. workers who receive paid time off don’t take all of it, often because they worry about falling behind on work or leaning too much on their colleagues for coverage. That’s not a healthy work culture. When employees can unplug and reinvest in their personal lives, the company thrives—and that was a driving force for this program. I took my full sabbatical and encouraged every eligible person on my team to consider taking their full time off, too.

Sabbaticals are good for morale

When an employee returns from sabbatical, their colleagues will naturally ask: So, what did you do? That question opens the door for teammates to share something special in their life outside work. For example, one employee spent her time resuming her life-long passion as a singer. Another colleague traveled across the country to spend time with grandchildren. Sharing these experiences and personal priorities allows our Bank of America employees to bring more of their full selves to work and connect with one another in new ways.

Listen to your employees

This program wasn’t created by executives sitting around a boardroom table guessing what our people might want—it was based on what we heard from our employees. We conduct an annual survey to gauge sentiment among our employees, and a few years ago, they told us how much they would appreciate more programs to support their emotional wellness including paid time off. They asked, we listened. It’s as simple as that.

People come back

There is of course potential for people to go on sabbatical and decide to make a permanent life change. But our outcomes say otherwise—the vast majority of teammates are returning and with a strong sense of appreciation for the company and their colleagues. More importantly, they are recharged and ready to reinvest in their work.

Our program is still nascent, but the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We hear every day that the sabbatical offering is working—from those who took advantage of it, teammates looking forward to it, or managers observing boosted team morale. There’s no doubt that not working can ultimately lead to better work, and we’re already seeing the benefits.