Spotify gave all its staff an extra week off - here’s why

Amid the stress and burnout caused by the pandemic, businesses are trying to find new ways to let their staff recharge their batteries. At Spotify this involved giving everyone the same week off work - for free.

This article is part of our Going Against the Grain series, which tells the stories of companies bold enough to break business norms and try out new ideas. To explore the rest of the series, head here.

The pandemic has caused one of the biggest re-evaluations of work/life balance since the introduction of the weekend. Prince Harry was just the latest to stress the importance of time off earlier this month when he advised employers to give their staff time to work on their inner selves to help alleviate the effects of burnout and stress.

It was this sentiment that inspired Spotify to introduce a 'wellness week' for its employees. Taking place during the first week of November it allowed all employees to take five days off as paid leave, effectively shutting its offices for five days.