Extended time out or a sabbatical from a job can boost employees’ job satisfaction and improve staff retention for companies.
The Guardian recently reported that workers are increasingly choosing employers that offer sabbaticals to combat burnout, gain new experiences and improve their work-life balance. Sabbaticals are popular with employees and employers because they offer benefits for both, says Anthony Painter, director of policy at the Chartered Management Institute.
“In today’s competitive job market, companies are doubling their efforts to boost staff retention. They can hit the sweet spot between employee wellbeing and upskilling that benefits the employer. The relationship between employer and employee has shifted in recent years but it’s not zero-sum.”
The value of the sabbatical
Recent Harvard Business Review research showed that sabbaticals are increasingly popular. While Adecco, the world’s largest HR company, identifies them as one of the top five workplace trends. It’s a great way for a company to demonstrate its values, especially where the benefit is offered to employees at all levels of the organisation.
Younger managers, under 55, are more likely to say that it is important for an employer to offer sabbatical leave. The main reason for offering sabbatical leave is to improve employee wellbeing and mental health; while cultivating a flexible work culture and enhanced talent retention are also cited as motivators by employers.
Shasa Dobrow, associate professor of management at the London School of Economics, says that shifts in how we understand work and where it fits in our lives in recent years, mean that workers are less likely to prioritise salary. Instead they focus on what is meaningful to them, from the values espoused by the organisation to the working environment.
Reset and recharge
“Organisations that offer attractive sabbatical options will be clearly signalling to both prospective and current employees that they value employees’ wellbeing and access to important developmental opportunities,” Dobrow says. The sabbatical offers an opportunity to reset and recharge. It’s worth noting that sabbaticals work best when employees have a say in their purpose.
Sabbaticals are popular with employers because they boost job satisfaction levels and reduce turnover. Research suggest that as people progress in their job, their satisfaction tends to decrease, when they switch jobs and start in a new organisation, it rises, before declining again. The sabbatical mimics this effect without the need to change organisation, or jobs, it’s the spark from the novelty and change that comes from activities like sabbaticals that can help workers experience a boost in their job satisfaction.
In the current climate we need HR strategies which are aimed at fostering a supportive and progressive workplace culture which values and prioritises employee wellbeing and work-life balance. Those returning from sabbatical often reintegrate with renewed energy and a fresh perspective which helps to revitalise approach and appetite for further work.
A changing world
The CIPD point out that sabbaticals can have significant benefits for employers including strengthening employee productivity, fostering growth, reducing turnover intentions and supporting greater job satisfaction. As demands for sabbaticals increase, they can be used to attract talented employees and employers affected by economic downturn can also offer unpaid sabbaticals as a tool to retain employees instead of making them redundant.
The pandemic changed how we think about work. There’s a greater tendency to prioritise health and happiness and less loyalty to companies who were quick to fire people in the recession and the pandemic downturn.
For younger workers knowing that the organisation values wellbeing and supports personal and professional growth makes them more committed to staying and focusing on their career path, the presence of a sabbatical offer can be a crucial factor.
