Why Dog & Gun Coffee pays its staff to go on two weeks of ‘adventure leave’

An Australian coffee and outdoor lifestyle business that offers its staff members adventure leave wasn’t meant to be much more than a “fun side gig” between running other businesses says its founder Shaun Lynch.

Shaun Lynch and his wife Rachel co-own Dog & Gun Coffee, which officially launched in 2019 and is targeted towards those in the hunting and camping outdoors lifestyles.

Since launching, the online retailer has sold more than 85,000 products directly to consumers and is roasting about 500kg of green beans per week, with four full-time employees and one part-time.

Each year, the founders give up to two weeks of paid ‘Adventure Leave’ to their full-time employees, which can be used for camping, fishing, hunting, a big hike or even an extended road trip. 

As well as the two weeks extra ‘adventure leave’ on top of the standard four weeks annual leave, employees get every Friday off and the founders take staff on interstate outdoor trips and run monthly camping trips.

Lynch says most of the team, like him, didn’t grow up in this sort of adventurous lifestyle but that’s exactly what they’re trying to promote with Dog & Gun – getting out there, re-connecting with nature, learning new skills...