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After every 5 years of working full-time at Buffer, teammates are invited to take a fully paid sabbatical.

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Sabbatical time (which is totally optional) can be spent however you like: Working on a side project, traveling, helping a nonprofit, achieving a life goal, spending time with family, or something else altogether. We’d love to encourage you to take time in advance to reflect on what this could mean for you and your life as you approach this marker.

When are you eligible?

Teammates are eligible for a sabbatical when they’ve worked at Buffer full-time for 60 months or five years. Sabbatical leave requires at least 6 months' notice, so feel free to start planning as early as you like!

Sabbatical Length:

Buffer grants a sabbatical of 6 weeks every 5 years.

If you choose to delay your sabbatical, you will add another week onto your sabbatical for up to 2 years that you work at Buffer after 5 years without taking a sabbatical, leading to a total maximum sabbatical length of up to 8 weeks.

The timetable looks like this:

• 5 years at Buffer: 6-week sabbatical
• 6 years at Buffer (without taking sabbatical): 7-week sabbatical
• 7+ years at Buffer (without taking sabbatical): 8-week sabbatical
• After you take a sabbatical, the clock restarts, and you'll be eligible for another in 5 years.

Those on sabbatical are invited to fully disconnect from Buffer and are not required to attend team retreats, meetups, or events (but are always welcome!).

The fine print:

• Full benefits will continue during your time away.
• The timing of your sabbatical will depend on your team’s and your manager's input.
• If multiple teammates in the same area are planning a sabbatical around the same timeframe, they are encouraged to work together with their leads to figure out the best plan for accommodation. Only one teammate should be on leave at a time; sabbaticals should also be planned around family leaves on the team. The manager is the final decision-maker on sabbatical leave scheduling for their team.
• If a teammate is having performance challenges or is otherwise working through critical feedback, please delay the sabbatical until in good standing again. Good standing is defined as reaching “meets expectations” in the most recent performance review and not actively discussing new, serious feedback.
• Please don’t work for a competitor during time away. :)