HRpedia: Pre-cation

Pre-cation, n.

If you ever read the HR-related content on mega-sites such as Slate, the Huffington Post and Salon, you’ll have noted that a new word has entered the attraction lexicon. Welcome to the phenomena of pre-cation, generally defined as an all-expenses paid holiday given to employees prior to them actually joining an organisation.

Here’s how it works. You’ve met your perfect appointee, but she’s a bit tired and weary from the corporate grind. A couple of other organisations have offered her jobs, but they want her to start as soon as possible – preferably before her notice period has even expired. You gain the advantage by paying for her to take time out and clear her head, and when she does start with your organisation, you gain an employee who’s as fresh as the proverbial daisy and positivity brimming with gratitude.

As you’d expect, this is originally a Californian thing. Most of the anecdotes used in the articles mentioned above relate to the activities of one firm, a San Francisco-based real estate search engine, 42floors. As such, it’s easy to dismiss it as yet another comedy west coast perk, much like free Botox, in-office segways and paid-for divorces.

Actually it’s just another take on that old favourite, the Golden Hello, otherwise known as the signing-on bonus. The difference is that it’s slightly overtly materialist, and can be spun as evidence that your firm really does care for the wellbeing of its people. (Assuming you don’t let the employee spend your travel voucher in Vegas, Columbia or parts of Thailand, I suppose.)

So come Christmas, and the pre-cation is passé, what comes next? Maybe the post-cation, when you thank outgoing employees for their efforts by paying for them to vacation before they vacate their desks. (Rather than gardening leave, you could fly them to Florida and call it Busch Gardening leave. Ho, ho.)

Or maybe next will come the Sleigh-cation (given in lieu of a Christmas bonus) or the Cabernet-cation, where you lock your employees in a basement for a fortnight with a few crates of wine?

About the author

Andrew Baird

Andrew is the CEO of HRville. He is also Employer Brand Director of Blackbridge Communications, Editorial Director of Professionals in Law and an associate of The Smarty Train. Previously, he was the MD of TCS Advertising.