First time I heard about a #sabbatical #leave from an IT candidate was more than 6 years ago - unpaid and with no job guarantee upon return. Initially, this type of career break was hard to grasp, but it has since become increasingly popular. Fast forward to the pandemic and post pandemic era, I see more and more people prioritizing their mental wellbeing. And this can mean a wide range of things, from learning something new, to spending time with their family, to traveling the world, to just enjoying nature and art.
I see a connection between the skepticism around policies like work from home, remote work, and part-time roles, and the emerging trend of sabbaticals. Back in 2015, I began advocating for work-from-home policies as a way to offer #flexibility and #support work-life balance, which in return proved to foster a positive #workplace #culture.
Today, companies offering paid, partially paid, or unpaid sabbaticals earn employee loyalty and trust. This can also be a good alternative to cutting down on attrition, as employees will be able to keep high levels of job #satisfaction by taking a break (not quitting) and returning with a fresh mindset.
💡 How can companies enable such breaks?
We can expect shifts in employment perceptions, leading to more freelance, part-time roles, and increased outsourcing. In Romania, the trend and also need in the #tech industry is for outsourcing companies to add more value to the classical 'leasing' by building proprietary products or by entering into solid partnerships with their clients and contributing to their internal decision making matrix. A good starting point for this partnership model could be filling in for employees on sabbatical with strong professionals who can quickly pick up new projects and adjust to different company cultures. There's also an emphasis on developing soft skills like adaptability, assertiveness, and genuine curiosity.
🌍 What are some ways to #implement sabbatical leave?
✔ Based on the number of years spent in the company
✔ Based on overall work performance
✔ Offering it as an added benefit, with a limited number of weeks
On a personal note, a sabbatical year might be a far too long time for an entrepreneur, but I embraced the concept and took some weeks off this year. It was difficult to disconnect from my daily tasks, but the travelling, the reading, the cooking, the gym, the time spent with my family and friends, it all made me reconnect with myself and powered the resilience I had to develop during the last months of low recruitment need.
What are you planning for a long time and could be 'fixed' during some sabbatical weeks or even months?