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Four reasons why pre-cations

LONDON — In the flurry of work-friends-family-sleep (with never enough sleep) there is one delight that sends a smile to our faces, a skip to our steps and our song to our voices: Holiday. Surely there is no greater pleasure in the world than the chance to relax, travel and explore at your own leisure and schedule?

There is no greater pleasure in the world than the chance to relax, travel and explore at your own leisure and schedule.

There is no greater pleasure in the world than the chance to relax, travel and explore at your own leisure and schedule.

LONDON — In the flurry of work-friends-family-sleep (with never enough sleep) there is one delight that sends a smile to our faces, a skip to our steps and our song to our voices: Holiday. Surely there is no greater pleasure in the world than the chance to relax, travel and explore at your own leisure and schedule?

Silicon Valley firms, which are notorious for their employee-friendly habits such as tartare lunch bars and free unicycles, have started force-feeding holiday down their insufferably lucky employees’ throats.

A San Francisco-based online real estate agency called 42Floors and Atlassian, an enterprise software company, are offering new employees holiday before they start their first day of work. The “pre-cation” trend is still in its infancy — these enforced holidays aren’t yet mainstream. But it’s about time others caught onto this ground-breaking San Fran initiative.

It may be a cliche, but not even Steve Jobs could come up with innovative ideas while staring at the same cubic office space day after endless day. Seeing the world shocks your perspective, encourages you to throw the status quo out the window and helps you question those unquestioned foundations of your daily experience. Travel allows you to view life from a different viewpoint.

Many employees seem to go through their first week in a daze and are barely functional throughout the first six weeks. A pre-cation means that when you start a new job, all guns are blazing and you’re raring to go.

Furthermore, any sensible worker surviving on four hours of sleep would always choose a company offering a holiday — right here, right now — over one with an immediate start date and vague talk of “25 days a year”. Plus, employees are more likely to stay with a company that treats them right and makes sure they’re happy at work each day. They’re not just good for employees, but healthy for the company too.

Companies are only as good as the employees they hire — and people work better when they’re happier. A pre-cation will delay itchy feet for new employees, as they’re less likely to be looking over their shoulder for new opportunities and adventure when they’ve just gone an exotic world tour. They’ll burn out less easily and they’ll be more committed to the company. But most of all, they’ll just be happy. Won’t you? THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

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