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Free time

T-Mobile is giving its employees a break

September 3rd, 2008 issue

By Joann Plocková

COURTESY PHOTO
Barbora Stejskalová, of T-Mobile, says employees needn't fear losing their jobs for taking time off.
FOR THE POST
Taking some time off from work to travel abroad and attend a language course was something Tomáš Stejskal, a field operations engineer for T-Mobile, had considered for a long time but never did for fear of losing his job.
Then, earlier this year, T-Mobile introduced a program that allowed him not only the freedom to take a break but also the possibility to do whatever he wanted with the time and a guarantee that his position would still be his upon return.
Stejskal, who has returned from his month of study and travel abroad, is among one of seven employees who have so far taken advantage of T-Mobile’s Career Break program. An option among the company’s Flexible Working Arrangements — which also includes part time, flexible beginning of the working day, home office and job sharing — Career Break allows all T-Mobile employees who have worked for the company for at least two years the opportunity to take up to six months of unpaid leave to spend however they want.
As Barbora Stejskalová, T-Mobile Czech Republic’s executive vice president of human resources, explains, “The reasons for [a] career break could be — solving family issues [like illness or childcare] or language study abroad, traveling or just a break from work. … Employees can be sure that if they need time for a break, they can do so without losing their jobs.”
When an employee decides to participate in the program, he makes a request for the break. The request must be approved by both the manager and vice president of the particular division the employee works in, but no official contract is created, Stejskalová says.
The company also doesn’t place limitations on the number of employees who can take a career break at one time, Stejskalová adds; it is up to the manager of each division to plan accordingly.
Although employees are required to state what they will be doing during their time off, a detailed explanation does not have to be given. Moreover, Stejskalová notes, stipends are not offered for particular activities, nor does the company encourage certain activities.
“It’s totally up to them how they use their private time,” Stejskalová says.
Pavla Naušová, a controller with the company for more than three years, will be taking three and a half months to travel around New Zealand and study English.
“You need a rest from time to time and to clear your head. I like traveling, and this is how I managed to connect nice things with useful ones — rest and relaxation, traveling and studying at the same time,” Naušová says.
The flexible nature of T-Mobile Czech Republic’s Career Break stands out on the local labor market.  
For instance, while Vodafone offers a career break through its recently launched Rok jinak (Year of Difference) program, employees are limited to working for a nongovernmental organization during their year away from the office. And O2, which does provide a variety of educational options to its employees, only offers time away from work through the standard Cafeteria System, which is based on a point system determined by an employee’s position in the company.
“Anybody working for T-Mobile can go on a career break. … I think this is a big plus of the program,” Stejskal says.
T-Mobile officials point out that their Career Break program isn’t just beneficial to employees, but also to the company as a whole. According to Stejskalová, two of the key benefits of the program include strengthening the motivation and work-life balance of T-Mobile employees.
“When I joined T-Mobile, I had no idea about the benefits offered by the company,” Stejskal says. “But if I applied for a job with them now and had all this information about benefits, the fact that the company offers this program would definitely help me decide whether it’s worth working for them.”
Allowing for both the possibility to take a break if the need arises and the opportunity to pursue personal desires, the biggest benefit of the Career Break program, at least from an employee’s perspective, appears to be the luxury of free time.
“I had been considering this opportunity [to travel abroad and attend a language course] for a long time,” Stejskal says. “Thanks to Career Break, I could finally go, and I didn’t have to fear that I’d lose my job. I could go abroad to study and then come back to my position in the company, where I am very happy.”
— Naďa Černá and Hela Balínová contributed to this report.
Joann Plocková can be reached at specialsection@praguepost.com


Other articles in Careers (3/09/2008):

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