Fancy a grown-up gap year? Here's why the sabbatical is back in fashion
The thought of taking a gap year may conjure up images of teenagers backpacking through Thailand. After finishing school, it’s thought that between 200,000 and 250,000 young people each year decide to pursue some time off before moving on to higher education or the world of work. Perhaps travel is on the agenda, or an intriguing volunteer opportunity to broaden skills sets and horizons.
But it’s not just teenagers who are flirting with the idea of taking an extended period of time out, with an increasing number of careerists now choosing to have a break. The writer and podcaster Emma Gannon decided to halt all work opportunities after experiencing chronic burnout, and took a year to switch off, go underground and find joy in the mundane.
“I stopped replying to emails,” she wrote in A Year of Nothing, which chronicled her time off. “I used my savings. I slept. I borrowed a friend’s dog. I ate bananas in bed. I bought miniature plants. I read magazines. I lay down. I did nothing. It felt totally alien to me.”
Now, corporations are taking steps to ensure that employees can take time out of work if needs be. Both paid and unpaid sabbaticals are on the rise; in 2021, 29 per cent of companies offered unpaid leave – up from 18 per cent in 2016. Meanwhile, one in 10 of all companies now list paid sabbaticals in their benefits packages.
So what has prompted this rise in adults seeking gap years? Like most trends we’re currently seeing in the working world, the coronavirus pandemic served as a catalyst in our changing attitudes towards employment.
“We are now more aware of the benefits taking a career break or a sabbatical can have on fighting burnout and exhaustion,” Jonathan Firth, VP and UK Recruitment Solutions head at the talent advisory specialist LHH, tells Harper’s Bazaar. “Where employees take longer sabbaticals, it gives them time to learn more about themselves and where their priorities at work and home lie.”
A mid-career break could be seen as vital, particularly with our working life looking to expand over five decades. Research conducted by the International Longevity Centre suggested increasing the state pension age to 70 or 71 by 2050. It’s no surprise, then, that sabbaticals are most popular among employees who are between 25 and 35, followed by 35- to 44-year-olds.
“The pandemic meant embracing flexible working arrangements and seeking to strike a greater balance between work and life,” says Dr. Mona Mourshed, founding CEO at the non-profit employment network Generation. “For others, it has meant a full-scale reconsideration of what they want their careers to look like. And, with longer lifespans and later retirements, people are managing their careers over more years.”
Of course, there’s plenty to consider before you put pause on your career for a certain amount of time – particularly if you are opting to take unpaid leave. You will need to ensure you have enough in your savings to pay for essential bills, as well as any additional expenses you may have (such as travel costs if you’re choosing to spend your sabbatical abroad).
More than anything, Dr Mourshed explains, you need to work out what you want to achieve during your time away from your career.
“For some, sabbaticals are valued for the time they provide to study or travel,” she says. “It’s taking a break from day-to-day life and a temporary change of scenery that’s needed. For others, they might be seeking time away from work to manage other life demands – caregiving responsibilities, health concerns, or other situations.
“But for others, sabbaticals can present rare opportunities to invest in yourself. They can be productive experiences and – approached with the right mindset – provide the headspace that’s needed to develop new skills or explore emerging sectors that offer meaningful opportunities for growth.
“The workplace is shifting dramatically with the rise of remote work and changes brought by AI. Taking a sabbatical can be a strategic way to be proactive about reskilling.”
It can be difficult to broach the subject of sabbaticals with line managers. “What you are essentially asking for is that your employer grant you an extended period of absence and ensure you still have a role when you return,” Dr Mourshed explains. “There’s no getting away from the fact that this can present significant challenges for a team or a small business.”
Instead, she continues, it’s best to sell a sabbatical as a way to upskill yourself. “Emphasise how time off can help you build skills that will benefit both you and the company, setting out a clear plan for what you intend to do while away from the business,” she says. “Make the case for how your development, whether through formal education or a personal project, will align with the organisation’s goals, especially if you work in a sector that is changing with technology.”
Employee satisfaction is also now increasingly important to employers – after all, it is cheaper to retain staff than recruit new talent. “The benefits of a gap year go beyond just employee retention,” Firth explains. “It also offers productivity and morale boosts which have not gone unnoticed by employers. Many are now offering sabbaticals as part of their benefits packages.”
Once you’ve decided to return to work post-sabbatical, it’s not necessarily a case of sliding back into your role as if nothing happened.
“It’s important to have honest conversations with your line manager to ensure that you are being supported in the right ways in order to catch up,” Firth says. “Often, we put pressure on ourselves to jump back into work, without considering the potential exhaustion that can come with that.
“Following breaks, there may have been personnel or procedural changes, so therefore it is crucial that onboarding support is available to bridge any knowledge gaps that may have developed, in the same vein for those returning from parental leave.”
“Re-entering the workplace after a sabbatical offers a unique opportunity to bring fresh insights and skills to your role,” Dr Mourshed adds. “Start by reorienting yourself with any developments or changes that occurred during your absence. Stay proactive and ask questions to understand how things have shifted.
“It’s important to highlight how your time away has enhanced your skills and how you can contribute to a more dynamic and inclusive workforce. Whether you gained new technical knowledge or learned a fresh perspective on leadership, make sure to share these insights with your team.
“And if you are finding new work, rather than returning to your prior employer, underscore how you’ve used your time away from the office and the skills you have learnt to bring to a new role.”
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