What is sabbatical: why go on a long vacation

Although the sabbatical has already become a fashionable phenomenon in the West, for the Slavic ear this term still sounds unusual, more like the name of some religious mass than its true meaning.

To put it simply, the sabbatical – it's a long vacation that people take for a major "reset." This phenomenon is practiced by many well-known international companies, but sabbatical is still new for us. How does a sabbatical differ from a regular vacation and why go on it, who needs it and how to go on it correctly – read this article.

How does a sabbatical differ from a regular vacation

Any employees periodically go on vacation, which can last a week, two or even a month – alternation of the mode "work / rest on the weekend / longer rest"; is a prerequisite for the normal functioning of the body of each "working bee".

However, what about those professionals who are madly in love with their work, but are so burned out emotionally and professionally that they have lost their taste for work and the creative fountain suddenly dried up? Or those people who, due to the daily work routine, simply cannot find time for more global tasks? Or, in the end, those who, due to their workaholism, miss the most important events of their lives?

Quit your career completely and leave to meet old age in a village hut with subsistence farming around, as downshifters do – Clearly not an option for these people. But a standard vacation of a couple of weeks in the presence of the above factors will not save the situation either.

And then an inventive modern society came up with a more full rest – sabbatical, which lasts from 3 months to a year and guarantees the preservation of the workplace for the employee (in some cases, the salary – full or partial).

The word sabbatical can be translated from English as "take a break, have a rest." The roots of the word go back to the ancient Jewish concept of Shabbat (Sabbath) – a well-known holy day of rest for the Jewish people.

Such a long vacation was introduced by Harvard professors in the 19th century. After 6 years of experience, teachers were given the right to go on a sabbatical for a whole year, so that nothing everyday would distract them from writing scientific papers. At the same time, they continued to be paid salaries so that pundits would not be distracted by worries about their daily bread.

Sabbatical has become even more popular these days, and for good reason.

Sabbatical – this is a long vacation (from 3 months to a year), which guarantees the preservation of the workplace for the employee (in some cases, the salary – in full or in part).

Why and who needs a long vacation

Of course, like any relatively new trend, the Sabbatical is not regulated by any strict rules. The management of some companies may even refuse to provide very long vacations to employees.

However, the most often people think about the sabbatical:

• Professionals who have become cramped within their usual boundaries and who are eager to expand their horizons – it is still more convenient to improve qualifications or receive additional education on vacation than in short breaks between working days.
• Scientists working on dissertations and other voluminous scientific works (monographs, textbooks, etc.).
• Start-up startups – before opening your own business, it’s scary to completely burn bridges at your old job, because if the business doesn’t “burn out”, then you want to be sure that there is somewhere to return.
• Representatives of creative professions, who were so absorbed by the routine that the muse completely stopped visiting – new experiences on a long vacation can give fresh ideas.
• People with life goals, the fulfillment of which is currently hindered by constant work – wedding, childbirth, relocation, construction or renovation, treatment or rehabilitation of the body, etc.

Contrary to fears of career failure after a relatively long break from work, practice shows that employees, on the contrary, take up work with redoubled enthusiasm after a long pause. So, such a rest is for the benefit of all – both the company and its individual employees.

How to get into the Sabbatical correctly

Although the Sabbatical has a lot of advantages, the management of far from all companies will easily agree to let a valuable employee go for six months, or even a year. But not everyone works at Google, Intel or IBM, who practice long vacations for their staff.

Even if the prospect of going into the sabbatical seems very tempting to you, don't jump head first into the pool. First, properly prepare yourself and prepare your bosses.

How to go to sabbatical:

1. First, identify your true motivation. Do you really need such a long break (and you are sure that after the reboot you will return a different person) or are you corny tired and just dream of shutting yourself off from the whole world and lying on the couch, looking at the ceiling, for a couple of weeks? For the second option, a regular vacation or a week off is enough. And be prepared for the fact that many people, after a month of doing nothing, fall into a blues and begin to acutely feel their uselessness.
2. If the goal is defined correctly, then you can start a serious conversation with your superiors. Prepare a list of arguments – not why the sabbatical is important to you personally, but what the company will gain from your temporary departure. Business is business – The benefit of the company is more important to management than your internal balance. Therefore, if you can convincingly convey to your boss that after the break your productivity will double / you can start a new project / the company's sales markets will expand thanks to your new skills / the company will save on the maintenance of a specialist during the general financial crisis (underline as necessary), then, most likely, you will be released into temporary free swimming without any problems.
3. Determine the exact timing of the Sabbatical. The approach in the style of "while I plan to sit on vacation until the winter, and then we'll see" will turn your entire reboot into a pointless waste of time. Depending on your goals, determine the exact period – for example, from September to February.
4. Draw a plan for what you will do during the Sabbatical. This is what distinguishes it from the usual vacation, which can be devoted to idleness – the sabbatical is carried out for the benefit of the future. Therefore, if you plan to finish your dissertation, then immediately determine how many pages a day you will write, and if you dream of learning a foreign language – delimit each day so that you devote the same periods of time to studies.
5. Think about the financial side of the issue. If you are so lucky with the employer that your salary is at least partially saved, then, of course, a whole layer of problems and questions goes away. However, so lucky units. The rest definitely need to prepare a financial cushion in the form of savings with a margin, close all debts and loans before a long vacation. It is better to draw up a financial plan – how much money per month you plan to spend + a certain reserve amount for contingencies.
6. Think about ways to return (or not return) to work. It is not uncommon for people to realize after a long break that what they really needed was not just a reboot, but a clear realization that they were in the wrong place. In this case, there is nothing left but to quit completely and look for a new place. Be prepared for any turn of events, including financial ones!

As you can see, the sabbatical can be not just a vacation, but a whole strategy for working with employees and a serious professional challenge for any specialist.

The Sabbatical, unlike a regular vacation, is not spent idle, but gaining skills that will be useful in the future.

Obviously, in the CIS countries, sabbatical will not soon gain the same popularity as in Western countries. However, it is clear that the fashion for workaholism in the style of a draft horse is also becoming obsolete – more and more people are coming to the conclusion that high results are impossible without a special approach to talented employees. And that means more companies will be willing to take long vacations for granted. We hope this article has helped readers understand the true meaning of the Sabbatical.