Flexa

What Are Sabbaticals?

19th Dec 2022

Sabbaticals are extended periods of leave that are typically granted to employees for the purpose of rest, rejuvenation, or personal development. Sabbaticals might be taken for a number of reasons, such as to pursue academic goals, to travel, or to take a break from work to focus on personal growth.

Sabbaticals may be provided as part of an employment contract or company benefits scheme and may also vary depending on the length of service at a company. It may be granted regularly, such as every seven years. In other cases, sabbaticals may be negotiated individually between the employee and employer.

During a sabbatical, the employee is typically not required to perform any work-related duties or responsibilities. Sabbaticals are often seen as a way to retain talented employees and prevent burnout, as they provide a break from the day-to-day stresses of work.

What are the benefits of sabbaticals?

Helps employees achieve personal goals

Whether volunteering abroad, studying or travelling sabbaticals, allow employees to experience this without quitting their job. If sabbatical leave is used for developmental purposes, it can lead to higher employee satisfaction, allowing employees to utilise their newfound skills once they return to work.

Shows companies care about their employees

Offering employee sabbatical leave shows a company's commitment to employees' well-being and personal progression. This is great for company culture and can be a beneficial way to attract and retain top talent.

Reduce employee turnover

You don’t want to lose your best talent - offering sabbatical leave can help reduce employee turnover. Employees might be less likely to seek alternative employment elsewhere and likely to be more cost-effective through not having to commit as many resources to training a new employee. 

What companies offer sabbatical leave?

Propel

They have an incredible FlexScore of 97%; they are an independent performance marketing agency that really understands the value of workplace flexibility. They have a very long list of employee benefits which you can check out on their company page. 

Blexr

Experts in lead generation, Blexr are pushing boundaries and challenging the norm. Find out more about them and their current vacancies.

Tilt 

Their ethos is to make shopping fun - find out more about them, their benefits, and career opportunities on their company page. 

Attest 

They are a consumer research platform with a great list of benefits to follow. Check out their current vacancies on their company page. 

RSPB

They are passionate about nature and dedicated to saving it. They offer plenty of company benefits - find out more about them on their company page.