Workplace Wellbeing: Stepping away on sabbatical to come back stronger

Taking a work sabbatical is common among academics and the practice is now being introduced by some companies to promote staff wellbeing. The time off can help employees recharge and refocus but unless it’s a paid benefit, it remains a dream scenario for most.

The term sabbatical comes from the Old Testament and refers to the practice of allowing fields to lie fallow every seven years.

SINÉAD KENNEDY knows all about sabbaticals. The 51-year-old wellness coach and author from Rathfarnham in Dublin takes herself off on one every year.

The term sabbatical comes from the Old Testament and refers to the practice of allowing fields to lie fallow every seven years. But Kennedy doesn’t believe in waiting that long. 

Since 2009, she has timed her sabbaticals to coincide with Christmas: “I take up to five weeks off every December to escape the cold and misery of winter and the commercialism of the holidays.

“I’m a hot house flower and the dark, damp Irish winter gets to me. I go downhill mentally if I don’t get a dose of sunshine and vitamin D. Also, if you’re self-employed, single, and child-free, even if you’re happily so, Christmas can be lonely. So I give myself a break by going away.”

In her book Life is a Cycle, Kennedy outlines how she was introduced to the concept of sabbaticals. 

“In 2005, I was the general manager of a popular nightclub but I’d spent years working myself to the point of exhaustion,” she says. 

“I ended up having a breakdown and realised that sometimes you have to step out in order to be able to step back in again. So I took a year off, working on cruise ships, travelling around India and learning yoga before returning to Ireland with a whole new perspective on life and work.”

Sinead Kennedy: "I’m a hot house flower and the dark, damp Irish winter gets to me. I go downhill mentally if I don’t get a dose of sunshine and vitamin D."

While it may seem that sabbaticals are a significant bonus for self-employed people, trends show that more organisations allow employees to do just that.

Research by the Society of Human Resource Management in the US found that the number of companies offering sabbaticals had tripled in the four years to 2022. 

Citigroup now offers employees with the company for five years a 12-week sabbatical. PWC employees can go on a one- to six-month leave of absence. Even companies such as Lidl are getting in on the act.

Finian Buckley, professor of work and organisational psychology at DCU, says while sabbaticals are seen as a new development in some sectors, they have been “common in academia, education, some domains of medicine and public service” for some time.

“They serve as an opportunity for people to take a break from their regular role and engage in personal and professional regeneration while also taking the opportunity to stretch their professional skills development and network,” he says.

He points to a 2010 study from the Journal of Applied Psychology that showed the benefits of this time out from the workplace. 

“A sample of 129 academics who had taken sabbaticals were matched with 129 who hadn’t, and it was found that the sabbatical experience led to decreases in stress and fatigue alongside increases in wellbeing, energy, sense of efficacy and control,” he says.

“The non-sabbatical control group showed no changes in any stress or wellbeing measure over the course of the study.”

Now that sabbaticals are increasingly being taken in the private sector, these results also are being seen there. 

“A 2022 Harvard Business Review paper found consistent evidence that the sabbatical experience was a positive one, giving busy professionals the time and space to recuperate, reflect and return to their workplace with renewed focus,” says Buckley.

Tony Dundon, professor of human resource management and employment relations at UL

A year out

Tony Dundon, professor of human resource management and employment relations at UL, has taken three sabbaticals over the course of his career.

He speculates that their growing popularity in the private sector could be a response to the pandemic combined with a tight labour market. 

“Living through lockdowns led many to realign their priorities,” he says. 

“People now want more meaning in life and work and are demanding more from their employers. Employers are responding to those demands. They know there’s a labour shortage, particularly of skilled workers, and if they want to be seen as attractive employers, they are going to have to include employee-centred benefits like the prospect of sabbaticals in their job packages.”

Many of us could benefit from a break during our careers to restore our energy levels and regain our sense of what matters. Buckley compares sabbaticals with the practice of taking a year out after college.

“That year out has become ubiquitous for most Irish graduates, so the concept of time-out from careers shouldn’t surprise employers,” he says. “It’s all part of a growing trend in which our educated workforce see their career as something they control and adapt to their needs rather than employers signposting their career journey.”

Companies typically offer sabbaticals to promote workplace wellness. “Taking a sabbatical can combat that burnout and enable you to return to work with a renewed sense of commitment, engagement and energy. That’s good for you and your organisation,” says Dundon.

Sabbaticals can also help boost staff retention. A 2016 study drew on longitudinal data from 21,670 participants across 40 years and found that as people progressed in their jobs, their satisfaction tended to decrease. But satisfaction rose when they switched jobs and started in a new organisation before it dwindled again.

Finian Buckley, professor of work and organisational psychology at DCU

Set a schedule

Dundon wonders if offering sabbaticals might allow employers to mimic this effect without employees changing organisations or jobs. “That could help reduce staff turnover,” he says.

“This might be why a growing number of business leaders are now considering offering sabbaticals.”

Yet a sabbatical is still only an option for the privileged few. “There are no sabbaticals for bus drivers or people working at supermarket checkouts,” says Dundon. “They are only offered to a small segment of the greater workforce.”

If you’re lucky enough to be employed in that segment or can convince your employer to give you an extended break, Dundon advises preparing for it carefully to gain its full benefits.

“A paid sabbatical is the golden ticket, but very few are offered this,” he says. “So setting out how you will manage financially is tip number one.”

Number two is setting clear goals. “Ask yourself what you want to achieve during your time out,” he says. “It might not have anything to do with your career but ideally, it should be something that is meaningful to you.”

His third tip is to set a schedule. “You may need to rest at the outset of your sabbatical, but once you’ve done that, I’d recommend following a daily routine different from your daily work routine. Having a structure of sorts will help you progress towards achieving your goals.”

Kennedy usually takes sabbaticals in Southeast Asia or South America, having set aside money throughout the year to cover her costs.

“It’s not just the vitamin D I soak up on my sabbaticals,” she says.

 “I find that spending time with my thoughts in a different part of the world helps me clear my head. I’m constantly writing in my journal, making voice notes on my phone and coming back with lots of ideas and a renewed sense of excitement for my life and my business. I’d recommend a sabbatical to anyone.”