Why you need a sabbatical – and how to ask for one

Michael Vuong, head of project management at fashion specialist BrandAlley, has worked hard to reach the top of his profession. However, he recognizes that people who succeed in business also enjoy time outside the workplace — and that’s why he’s taken sabbaticals.

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Harvard Business Review (HBR) suggests sabbaticals have an overwhelmingly positive impact on people’s mental and physical well-being, creativity, and confidence.

‘It helped clear my mind’

Vuong has taken several sabbaticals during his career. He took one after his first time working with BrandAlley about eight years ago.

“At the time, we had to rebuild many of the platforms. We did a lot of integrations. We moved warehouses and created new payment gateways, which saved a lot of money. We also brought in a new email service provider,” he told ZDNET.

“So, it was just a lot of projects. I got them delivered and asked for a sabbatical. I took it a year later because I wanted to bed in all the systems.”

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Vuong wanted to take a break from the frontline. He traveled for three months with his parents, who had supported him during his career journey.

“It helped clear my mind,” he said. “We went diving and rock climbing. It was the best time of my life for me and my parents. I was happy to be able to give them that experience because, when I’m working on a project, I don’t take as much of a break.”

Getting off the treadmill

Time away from a demanding job can be crucial, agreed Caroline Carruthers, CEO of consultancy Carruthers and Jackson.

“I encourage my employees to do this kind of thing. If there’s something they want to do, I make sure they know we’ll support them,” she told ZDNET.

“I think sabbaticals are great. They’re good for getting off the treadmill, understanding yourself, and expanding your horizons.”

Vuong certainly believed he benefited from his first sabbatical — so much so, in fact, that he took a second six-month-long sabbatical about four years ago.

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He was working for a different employer, yet the context was similar to the first time. Vuong delivered intense work projects, including building an e-commerce platform to support international expansion. His career break was a reward for delivery across short timeframes.

“I took a sabbatical because I had children, had been working a lot, and wanted to spend some time with my kids.”

Now, after delivering a series of projects on his return to BrandAlley, Vuong plans to take another three-month sabbatical: “I want to clear my head and sort some things out.”

Intense work followed by a reward

What’s emerged is a strategy where he works intensely for a period and rewards himself with a break after a successful project delivery.

“My decision is based on how I usually work. I get involved in the project, take full ownership and accountability, ensure it gets delivered in a way I’m happy with, and then, after that point, if it’s all settled, I’m happy to step away. If it’s not settled, I’m willing to stay on the project for as long as needed to ensure everything has stabilized,” he said.

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“The first time I talked about a sabbatical with BrandAlley, I gave them one year’s notice. The second time, I also gave my employer a year’s notice. And this time, I was just offered it because I said I could do with some more time off.”

Vuong has developed a strategy for taking sabbaticals, and he’s not the only professional taking the option. Even the most senior executives will take advantage of these initiatives.

Take Adobe CIO Cindy Stoddard, who spoke to ZDNET recently in a hotel in London, UK, and explained she’d just returned from a sabbatical.

She said the company’s sabbatical program follows regional rules and regulations. Long-serving employees are allowed to take a break.

“I went to Australia for 15 days, just to explore. I’ve never been there. I’ve traveled a lot, but that’s one area I’ve never been, so it was on my bucket list,” she said.

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“A sabbatical is a great experience because it allows you to detach and refresh. Some of my direct reports have gone on sabbaticals. I say ‘some’ because not all of them have been there for five years — and you need to be there for five years to qualify for your first sabbatical.”

People come back

HBR suggests the benefits of taking time away from the workplace extend to the teams and organizations in which people work.

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Stoddard said well-planned sabbaticals can benefit people left behind, particularly those second in command, who can step up and try their hand in a leadership role.

“We always create a coverage plan of who’s going to do what, how that’s going to work, and I don’t bother any of my directs on sabbatical,” she said.

“They’re just gone, and I would not send them an email or do anything. It’s their time to rest, relax, and do whatever they have on their to-do list.”

Stoddard said jobs stay open for people on sabbaticals: “People come back and just slide right back in.”

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That approach resonated with Carruthers: “We would happily support people on sabbaticals, and the job will be exactly where they left it on their return.”

Quid pro quo

Of course, not every employer will be as eager to let their staff take a career break. Despite the advantages, HBR suggests some organizations can be slow to offer sabbaticals, with leaders unsure about why or how to set them up.

Carruthers said professionals who want a sabbatical must stress the potential benefits.

“I think it’s about understanding what you think you’re going to get out of it, but understanding there’s a quid pro quo,” she said.

“I would be honest and say, ‘I am thinking about taking a break because I think the company can absorb my absence, and I will come back and be better at my job.'”

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Vuong also said that convincing employers about the benefits of a sabbatical is about having an open conversation.

He previously asked his employers not to keep his role open after the sabbaticals. This time, Vuong is taking a short break before returning to the action fit and refreshed.

“I know what I’m coming back to, which is working on operational efficiencies and looking at future projects,” he said.

For some senior professionals, therefore, a well-timed break is as crucial for your career as the time you spend at work.

However, anyone taking a sabbatical must ensure financial security, something Vuong always prioritizes.

“I will save up before I go on the sabbatical, and then I know how much I have available for that period,” he said.

“I usually try to cover myself for at least a year. I’ve always been a saver because you never know what could happen.”

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