Hello guys…
I’m reaching out to see if anyone else has been affected by the recent changes at Intel. I’m an Intel employee living in Oregon, but I know this impacts employees globally. In addition to the news of the 15% layoff, they announced yesterday that many employee benefits would be cut.
One benefit that made Intel a great place to work was the sabbatical program. Every 4 years, an employee was eligible to take a 4-week vacation on top of their regular vacation, or they could wait 3 more years and take an 8-week vacation. Yesterday, they announced that after Jan. 1, the program would be cut to just 4 weeks after 7 years only.
The problem is that many of us have been waiting for that 8-week sabbatical (mine comes due in June 2025), and it doesn’t seem that Intel plans to honor that. This is more than $10k in value for me and kind of the last shred of hope I’ve used to grind through all the terrible moments of the last 6 years.
This feels like theft as it takes away benefits included in my offer letter, and I can’t find anything in HR benefits documentation relevant to this situation. Would love to hear any opinions on how to proceed with this. Thanks 
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I have worked for a number of companies where the pre-IPO sabbatical commitments were altered or revoked. Unless you are prepared to make a formal threat to leave, there isn’t much you can do about it. It’s likely that some top performers were able to secure additional vacation days or unpaid time off. It’s up to you if you want to try that strategy right now. I suggest that you begin your break as soon as you are qualified.
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I understand what you’re going through because I’ve been in a similar situation. I used to work for a tech company that was eventually bought by Intel and then spun off. About a year before the acquisition, they cut our sabbaticals in half to reduce their liabilities before looking for a buyer. If you don’t have a formal employment contract that specifically details the terms of your sabbatical (and an offer letter usually doesn’t count), the company can change those terms whenever they want. Sabbaticals are considered a benefit like 401k matching or vacation policies, and without a binding contract, a company can alter any benefits at any time without any obligation to the employees. It’s frustrating, and I sympathize with you, but unfortunately, you likely don’t have much recourse.