Sabre prioritizes employee wellbeing with series of new initiatives
SOUTHLAKE, Texas – Apr. 22, 2022 – Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), the leading
software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, has launched a
transformed employee wellbeing experience, aimed at fostering a supportive environment where people can thrive, learn, succeed and give back.
The Company, which previously announced its vision to create a new marketplace for
personalized travel is investing in its team members to be their best, both personally and
professionally, as they focus on immediate post-pandemic recovery and on driving Sabre’s
ambitious long-term goals.
“Sabre has a bold vision – and we need the best people to make this happen,” said Shawn
Williams, Chief People Officer, Sabre. “We employ some of the world’s top talent and we’re
focused on creating an environment in which they can reach their full potential, helping us reshape
the global travel industry from the inside out. Investing in our people – both present and future –
is a huge priority for us, and it is our aim to cultivate a culture that is rewarding, supporting and
transparent.”
Work from Anywhere
Sabre has introduced a global Work from Anywhere (WFA) program which provides Sabre team
members with a selection of flexible work arrangements. Designed to accommodate team
members’ individual needs and circumstances, the WFA program will support work/life balance,
improving productivity, motivation and job satisfaction.
“We recognize that there’s no one-size-fits-all way of working, and offering our team members a
setup that works best for them, their role and their team will help them do their best work, feel
valued and stay focused,” continued Shawn Williams. “And, while the human interaction of
working in an office is important, we’ve all seen the power of technology this year in helping us
stay connected and keep business moving from afar.”
Employee wellbeing
As part of Sabre’s journey to become a better place for team members to do their best work, the
company continually reviews its total rewards package to align with what team members need
and want. Sabre learned from its ‘Best Work’ research that parental leave is important to team
members, and three years ago, began offering a global minimum of 12 weeks paid leave for new
parents, for adoption or birth.
Sabre has also transformed its approach to employee wellness, investing in a host of new
resources to enhance the team member experience. To drive this, the Company has created the
Sabre Wellbeing Advisor Group (SWAG), a council of a dozen team members from around the
world who will guide conversation around wellbeing, capture best practices and enhance tools
and programs to support employee wellbeing.
One of the first initiatives introduced by the council is a partnership with Headspace, a global
leader in mindfulness and wellbeing, to provide free, premium access to their award-winning
mindfulness app.
“Through the Headspace partnership, we hope to encourage team members to take time out for
themselves every day and enjoy the benefits of increased productivity and improved stress
resilience and creativity that come from consistent meditation and mindfulness exercises,” said
Williams.
Sabre also provides complimentary access to additional mental wellbeing resources for team
members and their families. This includes access to Sanvello, an app offering clinical techniques
to reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress; Talkspace, licensed therapists
available 24 hours a day through talk, text and video; BurnAlong – a platform providing on-demand physical, mental, and financial wellness classes and the Global Employee Assistance
Program, which includes five free counseling sessions per person, per topic, per year.
Volunteerism
Sabre has a deep history of philanthropy and giving back to the communities in which team
members live and work. In the last 20 years, Sabre has donated more than $20M and logged over
300,000 volunteer hours as part of Give Together, its global corporate social responsibility (CSR)
program. In partnership with team members, communities and customers, Give Together helps
drive positive social and environmental change. Recognizing the importance of volunteering,
Sabre allows all team members to take four days of paid time off per year to volunteer for any
purpose they choose.
To further expand Give Together, Sabre recently partnered with Benevity – the global leader in
workplace giving, volunteering and grant making programs – in order to help team members find
the volunteer opportunities that mean the most to them. Through Benevity, Sabre also highlights
STEM opportunities, with a view to helping to create critical thinkers and enable the next
generation of innovators.
Career development
Sabre’s ambition to be a great place to work and an employer of choice has always been
a priority. Over the last few years, the company amplified its focus on team member experience.
This resulted in a slew of initiatives – from technology events to people policies/practices that
put team members, at the heart of everything it does.
Sabre wants to give its team members the tools and resources to drive their own careers. As
such, the Company has introduced a global mentoring program to help team members to develop
technical and leadership skills in areas they believe they need support. This is one of several
programs that Sabre has introduced to help team members grow and develop, and to align their
personal goals with business goals. Other initiatives include a leader speaker series, skill building
series and peer coaching series where leaders coach and support each other.
The initiatives that Sabre has introduced to support team members, be a great place to work
and an employer of choice have resulted in the Sabre Bengaluru Global Capability Center in
India being certified by the Great Place to Work® Institute as an organization that builds a High Trust, High-Performance Culture. This recognition is a testament to team members’ passion and
commitment to the workplace.
Inclusion and diversity
Underpinning the programs above is Sabre’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment,
where team members – with their wide and rich variety of differences – can bring their full selves
to work, contribute their best and feel like they belong. As a global employer with offices in 70
countries, Sabre has made a deliberate and intentional commitment to Inclusion and Diversity
(I&D). The Company’s I&D Council, which is made up of representatives across regions from all
areas of the business and across multiple demographics, is defining a globally consistent
approach to Inclusion and Diversity as a business imperative, helping Sabre embrace the talents
of every team member across the globe enabling an inclusive and stimulating environment where
all have equal opportunity to do their best.
Local Connection
At Sabre Poland, we invest in our team members’ trainings and certifications on cloud and other
contemporary technologies by tapping partnerships with leading global firms. By creating a culture
of learning, trust and transparency at the workplace, our team member-led communities of
practice drive social engagement and belongingness within and beyond the company. The stateof-the-art facility at Tischera, Krakow encourages team members to collaborate, innovate and
unwind in a welcoming environment. Furthermore, our team members are involved in key organizational decision making such as shaping a ‘social fund’ that finances and co-finances
sports, recreational, cultural and education activities among others including a ‘baby bonus’, an
allowance paid to support the birth or adoption of a child.
“The ability to thrive in an evolving environment means embracing the future of work and taking
a human approach to revisit and reconnect people, above all else. An example is the Global
Mentoring initiative, that reiterates our commitment to team members’ learning and progress as
they engage with leading technology experts to shape the future of travel by solving some of the
biggest and complex challenges the industry faces”, said Cezary Zminkowski, VP Products
Incubation and Software Engineering, Sabre Global Capability Center, Krakow, Poland.
About Sabre Corporation
Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveler experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre’s technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information visit www.sabre.com.