Sabbaticals: A fast emerging trend
Making a successful career, running after targets & promotions, travelling the globe and forgetting about all else till one morning when you wake up and wonderwhere most of your working years have gone.
In spite of all the achievements; meeting those endless deadlines and goals, now there is a sense of emptiness, of lack of purpose. Where did all those things you had on your bucket list vanish? When did life become all about meeting that target only? And suddenly you feel you need to break away from the daily race to make a fresh start – to ponder over a career move, to start a small business that you always wanted to, or to travel the world. That is when the need for a sabbatical kicks in.
Traditionally, a sabbatical is a period of paid or unpaid leave that is granted to an employee so that they may study or travel. This type of time off is common in higher education settings and larger organisations. It is usually granted after a certain number of years of service, as defined in company policy. A regular sabbatical is a year-long, though they can be shorter or longer depending on the reason for taking a professional break.
The absence of work no longer defines sabbaticals; the presence of it defines them. People who are taking advantage of sabbaticals today aren’t taking time off from work for the sake of relaxation; they’re engaged in another personal or professional pursuit. They’re using this set period to follow their dreams, to create something that they’ve been dreaming about for years, or to reignite a passion that’s been sitting dormant.
GLOBAL TRENDS
On average, 15% of companies offer sabbatical leave, according to the 2018 Employee Benefits Report from The Society of Human Resource Management. Of that 15 %, five per cent are paid sabbaticals, and 10 per cent are unpaid sabbaticals.
A 2018 study by Smallbusinessprices.co.uk shows that sabbaticals were the second prioritized work benefit for Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z alike.
A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that employees experienced a decline in stress after coming back from a sabbatical.
T h e S o c i e t y o f Human Resource Management estimated that 17 per cent of all businesses have a sabbatical program. Some companies offer six- to eightweek sabbaticals, while others provide month-long sabbaticals at reduced pay. A quarter of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For now have a sabbatical policy. Yet in India, this trend is yet to make a firm hold. Let’s understand why.
SOCIAL TABOO
While employees themselves do feel the need to take a break and rejuvenate themselves or follow their passions, the wider world is yet to comprehend the necessity of such breaks. Some of the backlashes come from the family itself.
The long-held premise that the man is the primary breadwinner often leads to push-back from the family. When the lady of the house takes a break for family or any other reasons, there are no questions asked. But for a man to do so is considered hara-kiri.
The questions that get raised“who leaves a well-paying job, even for a year?” or “How will you manage your finances?” and God forbid if the wife is working “Will you live on your wife’s earnings?”.
Then comes the social stigma. While Housewife or now homemaker is a well-accepted term for women, a house husband or sit at home father is not that well accepted.
HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS IN INDIA VIEW SABBATICAL?
Sabbatical-a deliberate break from one’s career in search of something meaningful is increasingly being accepted by corporates worldwide. In the United Kingdom, for instance, almost 20 % of the companies have a careerbreak policy, and a further 10% are considering introducing one. But the question here is that how popular is the concept of sabbaticals in corporate India today?
As the corporate world is becoming more sensitive to the present mind shift, their social responsibilities towards their employees have also increased. This is where a sense of concern towards the social and personal well-being of their employees comes in; the corporate world is increasingly open to sabbaticals taken for legitimate reasons.
But such companies are far and few. In most cases, the employee quits and hopes to land another job after his/her sabbatical period. And when S/he does go back to the job market, the journey towards getting a job of choice is not always comfortable. Firstly, the search agencies, as well as companies themselves, will point out that a person on sabbatical is in no position to negotiate compensation. So you are expected to take a salary cut.
There is still mistrust. After all, who leaves a well-paying job to travel the world, learn guitar or scuba diving, or to spend time with family. You must surely be sacked!!
So this is no longer about a sabbatical policy but an acceptance of the fact that people no longer see their work as the end, but as a means to an end- the kind of life they want to lead.
A WIN-WIN IDEA
Sabbatical not only benefits the person who is taking it but also has positive outcomes for the organizations. Let’s take a look at how it is beneficial for both the employee and the employer.
1. Recharged Resources: An extended break is the perfect way for employees to recharge and come back to work with renewed focus. Additionally, they feel taken care of by the organisation, and there is a higher sense of responsibility and loyalty.
2. Increased Productivity-.-when an employee return from the sabbatical they are full of new thoughts and ideas that how they can contribute more to their role.
3. Team Development - Sabbaticals offer a prime opportunity for employers to develop their bench if they haven’t been doing so already. It also provides the other team members with the valuable experience of learning about the business by filling in the gaps. If leveraged &planned, this is on-the-job training at its best and there is no loss of productivity.
4. New opportunities for the young/junior employees: When more experienced employees take a sabbatical, the rest of the team has to pitch in to do the work that the manager usually handles. This provides an excellent chance for younger employees to take on new job tasks and expand their skill sets.
5. Encourage stability of the employees: Sabbaticals that are rewarded based on time with the company encourage employees to remain loyal to a company for an extended amount of time. Also, the fact that their needs were considered when they needed a sabbatical builds loyalty.
6. Improve employee morale: Employees want to work for a company that understands the balance between work and life. Having benefits like paid sabbatical in the company policies will keep your employees engaged.
7. Me time for Employees: This gives employees the time to focus on their personal goals. While on the sabbatical, the employee has an opportunity to rediscover old interests and friends, explore new ideas, travel, get fit, do retirement pre-planning or a unique project, take care of family needs, and much more.
A sabbatical helps one come back as a successful professional with a pronounced freshness in spirit, creativity and energy. It’s all about self-renewal and selfgrowth. So go ahead, take that break and discover yourself, all over again!