Unicorn employees now allowed to take months of vacation

Founder Waldemar Zeiler is leading the way: Starting July 1, he will take time off for six months.

Starting immediately, the Berlin-based start-up Einhorn is giving its employees the chance to take paid time off. For every year of company service, there will be one month of time off. How the months are divided up is up to the employees. So employees can take six months off or just one. The condition is that no other financial income is earned during this time off. The so-called " sabbatical" is intended to allow employees to deal with various issues. "For example, for self-discovery, to gain clarity regarding one's own vision, but also one's own role at Einhorn," the company writes in a blog post. It also says the break is intended to help employees recover and prevent burnout.

Unicorn founder Waldemar Zeiler is getting things started. From July 1 to Dec. 31, 2022, he's taking a sabbatical. At Instagram the founder publishes a note of absence. "Too often in recent months and perhaps even years I have been absent, although from the outside I certainly seemed quite present and capable," Zeiler writes. He said he wanted to use the time off to be really present again.

During the time off, employees should continue to receive their full salary. "We strongly believe that a well-used sabbatical does not cost anything," the startup says. Rather, Unicorn would benefit by giving individuals better focus and clarity. "It is an investment that pays off for each individual Unicorn, but also for Unicorn as a company."