Discover the company that guarantees its temporary employees advantages and job stability.

The Great Reshuffle is causing a shift in workplace culture, with millions of Americans rethinking their work and work-life balance. In response, companies are meeting their employees' needs by offering remote work, flexible hours, four-day workweeks, and more. This story is part of a series exploring this topic.

To achieve her dream of bicycling across Europe and then into Australia, Harriet Talbot considered quitting her job.

Unilever, a London-based company, launched a new program called U-Work that offers employees the flexibility of contract work while maintaining benefits and job security.

Workers agree to a minimum number of weeks per year, receive a small monthly stipend, and are compensated for completed assignments. While benefits are not equivalent to those of full-time employees, they include a pension, health insurance, and sick pay.

Talbot, a 30-year-old individual residing in London, stated that he did not anticipate maintaining an ongoing professional relationship with an employer.

This HR manager took 3 months off with pay to hike in Europe. This company found a cure for employee burnout: a four-day workweek.

In 2021, Talbot left her full-time job in the global sustainability team of a consumer-goods company and took on two contract jobs at Unilever and a side gig at a local bike shop.

She embarks on a year-long journey starting on Tuesday.

"It's a real relief and progressive to be able to rejoin the Unilever community when I return," she said.

In 2019, Unilever's UK branch launched a program to retain employees approaching retirement.

It wasn't just people of that generation who were seeking flexibility, but others too for various reasons, such as family care, study, travel, and wanting to work for themselves or other organizations, as stated by Morag Lynagh, Unilever's global future of work director.

In 2020, U-Work was made a permanent part of Unilever's U.K. benefits and is currently being tested in several other countries, including Argentina, South Africa, and the Philippines. Although it has not yet been introduced in the United States, Lynagh stated that she hopes to make it happen.

We're always open to having conversations with any market in the Unilever world that's interested in taking this forward," she said. "We'd love to talk to the U.S. if the U.S. wants to do this.

In the U.K.'s program, there are 75 workers who are currently active or about to start. This group comprises a legal team member who wished to spend more time with her children while also working at a friend's law firm, a factory manager who wanted to ease into retirement, and a worker who aimed to launch her own business in furniture restoration.

Lynagh stated that the flexibility and freedom provided to workers have benefits for both the employees and the company.

Unilever can quickly access a pool of talent that is already familiar with the company, allowing those workers to hit the ground running, according to her.

Lynagh stated that U-Work primarily focuses on talent retention. The aim is to address the issue of traditional employment relationships not working for certain individuals and to maintain access to that talent.

The Great Resignation, or the Great Reshuffle, has seen a massive exodus of Americans leaving their jobs, with approximately 47 million quitting in 2021 and the trend continuing.

For some, freelancing may be the better option.

According to a recent survey by Upwork, 59 million Americans engaged in freelance work last year, and 56% of those who currently do not work freelance are considering it in the future. The survey was conducted by Edelman Data & Intelligence from August 27 to September 29, 2021, among 6,000 U.S. working adults.

A separate MBO Partners survey found that those who work independently reported being happier and healthier.

Talbot plans to continue in the U-Work program after her trip ends, as she finds the benefits, security, and freedom of freelancing to be the ideal combination for her career.

Working on an assignment basis can help you better understand your skills, work style, and how to maximize your career potential, which can be applied to future projects.

“In terms of future career, it’s really exciting.”

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