The Untapped Potential of Paid Time Off with Veetahl Eilat-Raichel

Veetahl Eilat-Raichel is the CEO and co-founder of Sorbet, a financial and human resources technology company. Sorbet is a startup disrupting paid time off (PTO) by offering employees and employers ways to maximize their efficiency around unused PTO. Eilat-Raichel has worked at multinational banks in Switzerland, Israel, and the United States and was most recently the Chief Marketing Officer at Isracard, the largest credit card and payment company in Israel.

This conversation on the Edelheit Experience dissects the intersection between PTO, employee wellness, and employer performance. Find out why the utilization of PTO benefits employees and employers, why 4-day work weeks won't inherently change corporate culture on its own, and how the explosion of remote working can hinder much-needed rest.

According to Eilat-Raichel, each year, US employers carry over more than $272 billion in unused vacation days, an equivalent of 900 million days that could be used to rest, recharge and rejuvenate. Listen to this episode for a brilliantly unique and creative approach to PTO and employee wellness. 

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"All research overwhelmingly shows that if you do take time off frequently, that makes you a better performer, that makes you that much more productive, that much more creative, that much more focused."

On PTO - "In the best-case scenario, you're holding onto this asset until some unknown point in the future. Of course, this can happen in a year, but it can also happen in 10, 15, or 20 years. Only then, when you leave the company, will you get paid for those extra days that you've already worked."

"Senior people are supposed to provide an example to their employees and talk about culture, and the fact that people don't feel comfortable asking for time-off starts with managers being able to show that it's okay, it's not only okay, but it's actually necessary to take time-off.'

"We've found an approach that proves that by investing in employee wellness, you can actually move the needle in business results as well."

"A lot of employers are now increasingly aware of the implication of burnout on employees, but also on their bottom line."