This is an anecdote that comes from a company I was doing some Talent Retention work with recently. When analysing some of the elements of the business that aided talent retention, a policy around a R&R Day (Rest & Recover Day) was listed, but fairly low down on the list of effective attractors.

The company, being project-based, wanted to allow staff to take some time off in lieu of weekends worked on projects. So, the powers-that-be instituted the R&R Day on the Monday following the weekend stint as a reward for extra effort put in. The original R&R Day was fraught with difficulty though as it was laden with strict criteria for when a R&R Day could be allowed. After much deliberation, consultation and frustration with heavy-laden criteria, the company decided on to apply only one criteria to the granting of an R&R Day ... it was to become the sole discretion of the Executive of the business unit.

What?

The application of the R&R Day was at the sole discretion of the executive. In true game show style, no discussion is entered into in terms of when the staff get the R&R Day, and no one asks for it. If, and when, the Exec awards the day it is accepted for what its worth.

I was astounded.

Very few companies manage to get such a policy, and it is a formal policy, right. This example speaks of immense trust in the management of the company on behalf of the employees. In fact, they spoke of the R&R Day with an almost sacred reverence. No-one questions the fairness of the policy and no-one treats it as an entitlement (both huge discourses that policy makes need to deal with in a South African business climate).

Who would have thought that the discretion of someone in management would be so revered and trusted?