The idea that employees must take off work only on holidays sanctioned by Hallmark, Christianity, or the US federal government is outdated and inconsiderate. Especially for those employed by American companies, outside the US.
Or so says Spotify.
As of today, employees of the world’s leading music streaming service are no longer required to observe public holidays. Instead, all employees have the option to swap traditional days off like Christmas for alternative days off of their choosing, like Yom Kippur, Easter, or Diwali.
Spotify presently has nearly 3,500 employees, with over 90 nationalities represented across their offices in Sweden and US alone. According to Katarina Berg, Spotify’s chief human resources officer, the new holiday policy is tailored to challenge the cultural norms traditionally projected onto each individual, regardless of their observations and lifestyle.
“Our new policy is designed to give our employees the flexibility and freedom to celebrate the values and beliefs that they hold close to heart”, said Berg in a blog post. “Everyone has the right to celebrate and feel included, regardless of who they are, what they believe, where they come from, and what country they happen to work in at the moment.”
Spotify’s new policy neatly aligns with the modern workplace’s intense focus on diversity and equality, from the ability to work from home to unlimited vacation, and equal paternity and maternity leave. What’s more, flexibility has been repeatedly proven a key to employee satisfaction and productivity-making it all the smarter for other companies to dance to Spotify’s beat.
