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Bumble gives its employees the week off to combat burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic

Bumble
Posted at 1:55 PM, Jun 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-22 13:55:00-04

Dating app Bumble gave its entire staff the week off this week in the hopes of combating burnout brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company told NBC News that it provided an extra week of paid vacation to its 750 employees who work in Austin, Texas, Moscow, London, Barcelona, Sydney and Mumbai.

"As vaccination rates increase and restrictions ease, we wanted to give our global teams a paid week off to rest and refresh after what's been an incredibly challenging time for everyone," a Bumble spokesperson said in an email to NBC News.

According to the BBC, the customer support staff will still work this week to make sure the app is still functioning. Those employees will be given time off later to ensure they get a whole week of leave.

Bumble offices will be closed until June 28. A spokesperson told BBC that the "majority" of Bumble employees are taking the week off.

Bumble is a dating app that requires women to make the first contact in the event of a match.

Bloomberg reports that Bumble's vacation offer is part of a growing trend to prevent employee burnout. Earlier this year, Citigroup announced it was banning Zoom calls on Fridays to help keep employees engaged.

The move comes as U.S. companies weigh a return to office as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted throughout the country. Corporations are attempting to walk the fine line of allowing employees to keep flexibility in their jobs while encouraging them to return to the office.

Bloomberg reports that Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are requiring employees to return to the office by fall, while companies like Apple are exploring hybrid work-from-home strategies.