Sabbatical Misconceptions and Why I Need a Break

Right up front, a big applause to all the people and the companies that get it. They understand that sabbaticals are not an extended vacation.

But then there’s a group who challenge us with their old thinking and hang on to dark-age misconceptions about sabbaticals.

Misconceptions aren’t always bad, of course. My friends tend to assume that I’m a really healthy person – someone who most often exercises, eats well, doesn’t smoke (although it looks really tempting sometimes) and moderately drinks. This is all true. Which is why they’d be surprised to know that three to four times a week I have POPCORN and BEER for dinner. Yup. Nothing green and no protein. Now mind you: it’s not microwave popcorn, laden with toxic oils. It’s home-popped with olive oil. If I’m feeling really dirty, I’ll drizzle it with truffle oil and butter and sprinkle in some parmesan. I doubt there’s a milligram of nutrition in these dinners of mine. So much for “really healthy”.

But the misconceptions about sabbaticals are bad. Why? Because they perpetuate thinking that gets in the way of people having full lives while working for companies that allow the whole person to contribute and thrive. And that’s the way things should be.

Here are the sabbatical misconceptions that need to be broken:

1. Sabbaticals are just a long vacation. If sabbaticals began in academia (starting with Harvard) as a way for educational institutions to compete with industry for talent and give educators time off from teaching in order to write and do research … then how did the notion that a sabbatical is reclining on a beach even begin? I’m baffled. A sabbatical is a planned, strategic job pause with specific goals and objectives. Sabbatical programs sometimes require a person to do something that is developmental (such as attending a global leadership retreat) or something that ties to a company’s mission and values (such as volunteering for environmental non-profits … see Patagonia). Do many sabbatical programs allow a person to do whatever they choose while on leave? Yes. And do many people travel on sabbatical? Yes, but certainly not all. Then how is a sabbatical different from a vacation if it’s an “unrestricted” sabbatical? Because a sabbatical allows a long enough chunk of time to truly disconnect and to accomplish something of significance. Look at the list of 100 Things You Can Do on Sabbatical – hardly any can be accomplished on a week’s vacation.
2. Sabbaticals are career suicide. Draw a long line to represent your career. Now plot two sabbatical dots (more, if you start early). That’s right – they’re dots, people. It’s not uncommon in the accounting industry for sabbaticals to be mandatory, meaning you must go. That requirement is instituted for three reasons: 1. The firms really, really want their people to be re-invigorated after working like dogs through several tax seasons; 2. They want their clients to be serviced with a team approach and want to ensure emerging leaders have opportunities to try out new roles in the work coverage process; and 3. They recognize the fear of leaving that an associate or a partner may have, as well as the possible attitude that “no one can do it better than I can”. How do the best athletes train? With intervals – burst of energy, followed by rest periods. Those rest periods make them stronger and faster.
3. Sabbaticals are only for the big guys. Really? We have companies on our “Companies on a Quest” list with only 14 employees that offer paid sabbaticals. Yes, the work coverage process can be tricky for a smaller business, but it can also make a small company more agile and, ultimately, stronger. If a lower-cost version of a sabbatical program is critical for your company, then consider a self-funded, partially-funded, or unpaid sabbatical offering. And for all you companies that think that if you give them sabbaticals that workers will never come back – there is very little evidence that supports that. In fact, people usually return more invigorated and committed and productive than ever before.
4. Sabbaticals only make sense in a strong economy. Oh? Then why are more and more companies offering sabbaticals right now? Because sabbaticals are a creative way for a company to cut salary costs while keeping valuable people. Offer a voluntary, unpaid or partially paid sabbatical in lieu of layoffs. This is a short-term strategy. But companies are also right now implementing sabbaticals programs that they intend to keep as a permanent offering. If structured properly, a sabbatical program is a relatively low-cost offering that boosts morale, attracts and retains talent, and provides a training platform through the work coverage process.

Am I missing any? Let me know.