Bumble gave its employees a surprise week vacation to to De-Stress

Bumble Inc., the dating and relationship app where women have to make the first move, which has actor Priyanka Chopra as an investor, temporarily closed its offices this week, giving its about 700 employees a “much needed break” to recover from COVID burnout.

The announcement was made public on Twitter by Clare O'Connor, Bumble's head of editorial content.

With coronavirus-induced restrictions now largely lifted across the country, companies are taking different approaches to retain staff and boost productivity.

Corporations such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are requiring all vaccinated employees to come back to the office by the fall, whereas Apple Inc. will pursue a hybrid work-from-home strategy and Twitter Inc. has said many employee will be able to work from home indefinitely.

.@WhitWolfeHerd gave all 700ish of us a paid week off, having correctly intuited our collective burnout. In the U.S. especially, where vacation days are notoriously scarce, it feels like a big deal.

During the pandemic, dating apps had to quickly pivot to keep users engaged as people isolated and quarantined at home. In-person dates went virtual as Zoom happy hours, Netflix parties and online coffee dates filled after-hours schedules.

As the pandemic forced people out of offices and schools, fears of Zoom fatigue and burnout emerged as the boundary between work and home vanished. While many businesses have thrived, many of their workers are on the edge of throwing in the towel. A Microsoft Corp. study this spring found that 41% of workers may quit this year. With employers at risk of losing employees, the ball is now in workers’ courts as they are now in a position to leverage change.

The paid vacation for Bumble staff -- and employees at its Latin American unit Badoo -- comes amid a trend of bosses persuading employees that they have their best interests at heart and to stay.