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Radical Sabbaticals Can Recharge Batteries, Refuel Creativity
Spring break has come and gone. Summer vacations are around the corner. If you find yourself wishing for more quality time away, or for some extended time off, you’re not alone. More than half the employees of small and midsize companies say they long for a sabbatical, according to a 2001 survey, and 10 percent say they have either taken, or plan to take one.
Sabbaticals, or extended leaves, were once the privilege of academia and clergy, and have become increasingly popular among all types of professions, and throughout all levels of companies. Whether it’s the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream, the opportunity to make a more personally rewarding contribution to a cause, or the need for some serious growth, exploration, and self-awareness, a sabbatical can be the best venue for achieving personal fulfillment. It can also be a meaningful investment in one’s perspective, one’s potential, and one’s promise.
While the reasons and the rewards vary, the benefits of taking a sabbatical are clearly confirmed. Most people say that time away allows them to feel recharged, reenergized, and to regain a renewed sense of focus and enthusiasm for their work.
So it’s no surprise that sabbaticals are a growing trend in employee benefits. Many businesses recognize that sabbaticals can be an investment in long-term productivity and human capital. Some are using longer, paid vacations as a retention or recruitment tool. Others have offered non-paid or partial-paid leaves as a means of achieving necessary cutbacks. One such example—with a positive twist—is Cisco Systems in California.
In 2001, Cisco introduced a pilot program whereby employees could accept a two-thirds cut in pay, continue to receive full benefits and stock options, in exchange for the opportunity to spend one year volunteering at one of 29 nonprofit organizations selected by the company. Cisco expected to sign up roughly 20 employees for the program. Instead, the company received inquiries from 300 employees expressing interest in the sabbatical experience!
But the vast majority of those who embark on extended time off do so at their own initiation, and expense.
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