Taking a Sabbatical – What You Need to Know

You might notice the similarity between the word ‘sabbatical’ and the word ‘Sabbath’, the traditional day of rest which falls on the seventh day of the Jewish week. As well as a Sabbath Day, there was also a Sabbath Year, which was a time for farmers to rest and allow their fields to recover before planting more crops the following year.

A sabbatical in the modern sense is not necessarily religious – nor does it have to fall on a multiple of seven in your career – but it is still a time for rest and recuperation, and can include some spiritual time or travel to holy places if you choose.

Sabbaticals are normally significantly longer than a standard period of annual leave. For example, your workplace might ordinarily limit you to a maximum of two weeks’ leave at a time. A sabbatical can be much longer, from a period of several months to a year or more.

The general reason to take a sabbatical is because you want (or need) a break from work. That can be driven by your own emotions e.g. stress and exhaustion, or a desire to experience other things for a while, or by specific career goals e.g. wanting to study for a CPD qualification.

Ultimately, sabbaticals are often very personal. People at all stages in their career, in all different sectors and disciplines, and from many different backgrounds, choose to take sabbaticals for different reasons.

Some of the most common reasons to take a sabbatical include:

• Chance to take a break and recharge physically or mentally.
• Desire to spend more time with family, friends and children.
• Journeys of self-discovery, both physical and spiritual.
• Opportunity to travel and explore other parts of the world.
• Study/training for career development or to change careers.
• Wanting to spend some time volunteering and giving back.

Because sabbaticals are anywhere from several months to over a year in length, they are a great way to explore these kinds of options in detail. For example, if you plan to go backpacking in a remote area, a sabbatical allows for the fact that you will not have a specific flight booked for your return journey – or any planned return journey at all, in some cases.

Sabbaticals complement other options like extended leave, flexible working schedules and working from home. Not everyone will want to spend a full year out from their career, so it’s worth considering the alternatives if you’re a believer in the old adage that “a change is as good as a break”.

Sabbaticals not only help you to recover from past traumas and tiredness; they also make memories and can give you confidence and skills to take forwards in your career.

Many people return from a gap year feeling much more mature, accomplished and capable, especially if you spend the time traveling independently, working overseas or volunteering. Even an extended period of relaxation can help you to clear your mind of past stress.

Alternatively, you can use the time to prepare for a more successful career, either by studying for relevant qualifications or filling in extracurricular gaps in your CV.

Kim McCabe, US public relations lead and brand champion at G Adventures, said: “If your spirit is crying for change and you just don’t know what that next step looks like, taking time off to simply ‘be’… to meander a while and follow your curiosities… can be incredibly renewing and insightful.

“It’s only when we step off the treadmill that we can sometimes notice the subtleties on the side of the road.”

Like many things in life, money is one of the main considerations when planning how to take a sabbatical. If you’re going to be taking up to a year of unpaid leave from work, and you don’t plan to work during your travels either, you’ll have to have enough saved up to fund your adventure.

Some employers offer paid leave for sabbaticals, so check your employment contract and workplace policies if you think this is likely. Be aware though that there may be some caveats on this, for example you might be required to complete a certain level of training course or other CPD (continuing professional development) during your sabbatical.

It’s possible to fund a gap year or other long-term career break by borrowing. A personal loan could give you the money you need in the short term, by committing to several years of monthly repayments once you’re back in work. Taking on any debt is a big decision and you should think very carefully before choosing this option.

Most UK sabbaticals are unpaid. Your employer might have a policy on this, so it’s worth checking. For example, you might be entitled to pay for a study break that’s relevant to your career – which might still be the break you’ve been looking for.

Alternatively, if you feel like you need a break for mental health reasons, speak to your doctor. In some circumstances, you might be entitled to a period of several weeks or even months away from your job and still receive statutory sick pay or your employer’s equivalent.

There’s also the option of working during your sabbatical, but make sure you know the law before you do this. You might have to pay tax on your earnings – especially if you are still technically employed in the UK – and there may be restrictions on the types of job you can hold if you are in a foreign country.

If you’re sitting down to decide whether you can afford a career break, there are some important questions to ask yourself:

• What unavoidable expenses will you have to keep paying? (e.g. mortgage, utility bills)
• What additional expenses will you face due to your sabbatical? (e.g. travel costs, overseas accommodation)
• What will your expected income be (if any) while you are away from work?
• Subtracting total expenses from income, what will your monthly/total budget be for your sabbatical?
• How much do you want to have left in the bank at the end of your sabbatical?

Together, these questions add up to an estimate of how much you need to have saved – or how much you will need to borrow – at the start of your sabbatical, to avoid running out of money before the end.

Arranging a sabbatical starts with making a personal decision to take a break from your career. If you have a family, you should make sure you speak to your partner before you decide to spend a significant period of time out of work. If it’s just you, there’s probably still some soul-searching to do, but the decision might be considerably easier.

Speak to your employer, manager or HR department about your options at work. You might find there is already a policy in place for extended leave, career breaks and sabbaticals. If you need to take a break due to stress or another mental health condition, you should also speak to a doctor, as you could qualify for sick pay.

Think about the practical aspects of your break. This includes budgeting as mentioned above, but also specifics relating to travel – do you need travel insurance, extreme sports cover (e.g. for mountaineering) and overseas health insurance? Are you physically, mentally and emotionally prepared to spend a long period away from home, away from family and friends, and potentially carrying your possessions on your back?

Preparation is crucial – it will help you to feel more confident from day one of your sabbatical, it will avoid the avoidable problems, and it will position you better to deal with any unavoidable disasters if they occur.

Be careful when telling your employer you want a long time away from work, as they might interpret this as a sign that you want to leave permanently. But if you are convinced you need to take a sabbatical, it’s important to talk to your manager, HR department or union representative about your entitlements.

Some employers might welcome the request as a way to temporarily cut their staffing costs without losing irreplaceable talent. You could offer to write a travel blog for the company website or allow them to use your volunteer work in company PR as a thank you for granting you the time off.

It all depends on your relationship with your employer – and if you’re in a role where you don’t feel like you can even ask about your rights, this might explain why you feel you need a career break at all.

Lia Saunders, owner of the travel blog Practical Wanderlust, planned her sabbatical well in advance and made sure she was ready to take a break. She said:

“I don’t have dependants and I’m able to save money and take a year off – the time is perfect. I didn’t want to be on my deathbed wishing I’d travelled more and worked less. And I knew if I let myself wait until later, later might never come.

“So I set myself a deadline when I started my career right out of college. I gave myself five years to get my career to a place I could leave and come back to without having to start over. Then I committed to taking the leap, and did it!”

If you want to plan ahead to take a sabbatical in five years’ time, here are some useful questions to ask:

• What is your job/career security? Do you feel well settled in?
• How would a long-term career break affect your future earnings and promotion chances?
• Do you work in an industry where you could recover that time, or would the impact be permanent?
• Will you need to pay any home expenses and provide for dependants while away?
• Are there any other obligations – financial or otherwise – tying you to your home or work life?

Planning ahead can allow you to identify these obstacles and take action against them, so by the time you reach your sabbatical year, they are no longer a dealbreaker.

It depends what you have planned, as well as what you are entitled to at work and how much you can afford. Even if you continue to get paid during your sabbatical, it might cost you more if you want to spend the time traveling abroad.

Remember, a sabbatical doesn’t have to be a year. It doesn’t even need to be several months or more. If you’re normally entitled to a maximum of two weeks off work, but you feel like you need a break of 3-4 weeks, it’s still worth broaching this with your employer if you believe it will make a significant difference to your happiness or mental health.

Make sure you meet any commitments – such as gaining a qualification – so that you get paid for your sabbatical if possible. Beyond that, there are very few limits on the kinds of things you can do during a gap year or career break.

Decide what you want to get from your time. It’s unlikely you will be able to do this many times during your career, and you should not rely on being fit and healthy enough to go traveling during your retirement, so make the most of it.

Whether that’s relaxation or adventure, at home or exploring, alone or with family, the world is your oyster.