Hey, IT Folks, Take a Break — Consider a Sabbatical: Exploring Sabbatical Culture in Modern IT Companies

ITExpert team29.05.2024

Well-being is among the top priorities of companies when it comes to managing a team. About 50% of professionals experience at least minimal burnout, and the average employee engagement is falling from year to year. How should you look after your team and help them recharge their batteries so that they can come up with new ideas more effectively? What can help you is sabbaticals — 39% of businesses in the United States already offer them, and this trend is becoming more and more popular in other countries.

We’ve compiled an extensive guide on sabbaticals with case studies and expert comments.

Keep reading if you’d like to find out how to understand when it’s time to take a sabbatical, how long sabbaticals last, whether long breaks from work are compensated by employers, and how to implement a sabbatical culture in your company.

We are going to talk about the following:

What is a sabbatical, and why is it becoming the new normal?

A sabbatical is basically a long break from work while you still get to keep your job. The history of sabbaticals has its roots in a creative break for teachers in higher education institutions. Over the decades, sabbaticals have become popular not only among educators but also among companies in a variety of fields and domains, from nonprofits to IT.

It’s worth taking a sabbatical when you:

want to recover from prolonged stress;
would like to devote more time to personal development and hobbies, travel the world, and improve work-life balance;
need to define your career goals and understand yourself better; learn new skills;
want to have more resources for generating creative solutions and ideas and avoid stagnation in decision-making (effectively, a creative break).

Managers and C-levels of companies also use sabbaticals. According to research, after a long rest, leaders felt more confident in their role, generated more out-of-the-box solutions, and had a clearer vision of how to develop their organization.

Long vacations are now offered by Google, Adobe, IBM, Intel, HubSpot, Microsoft, Patagonia, PayPal, and many other companies. Even if a company does not have a formal sabbatical policy, it may be offered or considered on a case-by-case basis.

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Is sabbatical compensated by the employer?

Sabbaticals may be fully or partially compensated, or not compensated at all. According to the WorldatWork 2022 study, which involved more than a thousand companies, 29% of businesses in America offer unpaid sabbaticals, while another 10% provide financial compensation. The statistics show a positive trend from year to year.

How long should the sabbatical last?

The duration of the sabbatical can vary. Most often, specialists use sabbaticals for 9-12 months, and less often — up to a month. The average duration is approximately eight months. Usually, it depends on:

how much time the employer offers (while retaining the job);
whether the sabbatical is compensated and how substantial the financial cushion is;
how much time is actually needed for recharging one’s batteries.

The last point on this list is actually the most important one, given the purpose of this type of break. After all, if a specialist has not achieved their goal — for example, has not overcome burnout or does not feel well-rested — significant performance improvements shouldn’t be expected from them after such a pseudo-sabbatical.

Vacation vs. sabbatical: what’s the difference?

Sabbatical shouldn’t be confused with vacation or other types of leave. If a specialist needs a leave of absence for 4 months or even longer to take care of their family, in case of parenthood, bereavement, or for health-related reasons (for example, for surgery and subsequent recovery), this cannot be called sabbatical.

Vacation	Sabbatical
Usually does not have a specific goal	Focused on a specific goal or request
Aimed at relaxation and “switching off”	Is aimed at multidimensional deep recovery, overcoming burnout, etc.
Usually lasts from a week to a month	Usually lasts from a month to a year (sometimes even up to several years)
Does not require financial savings to take advantage of this opportunity	Requires financial savings in the long term (even if compensated by the company)
Includes short-term delegation of tasks to colleagues, with the main responsibility remaining with the specialist	Includes long-term delegation of tasks to colleagues or a replacement specialist, complete disconnection from work, and responsibility for the results
Available to all specialists in the company	Available to the team members under certain conditions (usually a minimum period with the company, less often — grade or other criteria)

Case studies of companies: what the sabbatical rules look like

Charles Schwab professionals can take 28 days of sabbatical every five years and extend this period to 3-6 months if they spend it on personal or professional development or volunteering.

The VMware software development company offers three months of sabbatical after five years with the company, which can be used for activities that are not within the usual scope of responsibilities of a specialist at projects within the company or those of the company’s non-profit partners.

Skillshare “gives” a month of fully compensated sabbatical or a salary bonus on the three-year anniversary with the company, allowing them to choose which option they prefer.

Epic offers employees sabbaticals once every five years (lasting up to four weeks). Not only does the company compensate you for this period in full, but it also helps you organize and pay for a trip for two to a country you’ve never been to. Epic specialists have already made 7,200 trips to 154 countries, from Greece and Italy to Japan and Bolivia. They write about their travels on the Sabbata blog.

The Ukrainian product company YouScan provides two months of paid sabbatical after five years of working for the company. Sabbaticals were introduced in 2021, when YouScan founder Oleksii Orap returned to work after a break for several months. The company made sure that the processes were efficient and that managers and various specialists were autonomous. Sabbaticals are used to prevent professional burnout among employees and as an additional bonus to express gratitude for long-term cooperation. They were suspended at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and started to be used again at the end of 2023; a sabbatical boom is expected in 2024.

Netpeak Group has recently introduced a sabbatical policy at the official level, although it was tested on a case-by-case basis in 2023. A sabbatical for a fixed term can be taken after three years of work for companies of the group. In addition, you need to have a certain level of expertise (for example, a junior-level specialist cannot take a sabbatical). There should be at least two months before the desired date of the sabbatical so that the specialist has enough time to hand over tasks and responsibilities. The team has compiled a step-by-step manual and thought through various details, such as setting certain limitations on vacations during the sabbatical period of one of the team members. Still, the final decision remains with the manager (the company operates under the concept of HR Zero).

How to organize a sabbatical culture in the company

Will the employees of your company take advantage of this perk? Absolutely! 39% of Europeans plan to take a long break from work for various reasons. In the first six months after the inclusion of the sabbatical in the benefits package, about 5,000 Bank of America employees planned such a break.

A primary concern companies have about sabbaticals is that employees may not return from such a vacation and will simply find another job, resulting in financial losses for the company. Statistics show that, in fact, 80% of specialists do return to their employers. In addition, a culture of sabbaticals will help companies get:

Improved performance. Professionals who get enough rest have a fresher perspective on routine tasks and offer creative solutions.
Reduced staff turnover and increased loyalty. Sabbaticals can save the company’s money: you won’t need to spend your budget on repeated hiring and onboarding. Employees who have the option of a sabbatical see the company’s concern and feel more involved.
Improved employer branding and a streamlined recruiting process. Competitive benefits and perks will help you attract the best talent on the market.

80% of employees return from sabbatical without changing their jobs

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Let’s look at how to draw up a sabbatical policy in your company.

Agree on the rules and consider the nuances

Write out the duration of the possible sabbatical, whether it will be compensated, and what the conditions for getting a sabbatical are. If possible, write the rules on the company’s internal forum or in an additional presentation.

Think about how the specialist will be able to take the sabbatical

The rules should be simple, clear, and accessible. Think about whether the request should come from the specialist or the manager. If the terms and conditions of the sabbaticals affect whether you can take a break during a certain period of work, make them transparent for tracking.

Halyna Marchuk

Chief People Officer at YouScan

“Usually, the request comes from the specialist; their wish to take a sabbatical is sufficient, but the manager has to confirm the dates. At YouScan, we have specific rules for planning a sabbatical:

Planning ahead and giving at least a month’s notice — this will allow for both the proper completion or handover of current tasks and the redistribution of the workload within the team.
The sabbaticals of colleagues from the same team cannot overlap, meaning only one person can be on sabbatical at a time. This restriction stems from the fact that all our teams are small. At the same time, overlaps between different teams are possible. Sabbaticals are displayed in the corporate calendar, just like vacations, so they are easy to check and schedule.
Sabbaticals must be taken “in one piece,” which is their essence. For a shorter rest, employees can take regular vacations.
It’s crucial to truly disconnect and not dive into work discussions, not read emails and chats, and not try to control everything.”

Conduct consultations for managers and educate them about the warning signs that a specialist needs a break

Developing basic rules is not enough. It is also necessary to instruct and train department heads. Tell them when a specialist can take a sabbatical and when to offer it.

Present the solution to the team

When you present a new opportunity to the team, not only do you need to talk about the basic rules but also communicate your attitude towards sabbaticals and set the team’s expectations for them. For example, YouScan uses this benefit primarily to provide an opportunity to recharge one’s batteries on a planned basis, not when a specialist is completely burned out.

Evaluate performance and plan the return of specialists

Sabbaticals should be evaluated not only based on whether they are used by the team, but also on how many people are willing to participate, whether the company’s rules are clearly communicated, and so on. You should always demonstrate that you expect the specialist to return. Consequently, you should think about adaptation. While it’s not the same as onboarding new hires, there may be updates that need to be shared.

Should a break from work due to sabbatical affect further employment?

The term “sabbatical” can be tricky, as sometimes employees resign to take a sabbatical, or any long-term break may be referred to as such in a resume. Also, there are cases when a specialist went on sabbatical for a certain period but then realized that they needed more time to recover. Not every business can afford to cover sabbaticals for the entire team for years. If a person went on sabbatical as part of a team but quit during the sabbatical, the term can still be used in such a case.

One of the reasons why specialists avoid sabbaticals is the fear of losing their jobs, as well as value in the eyes of managers. In addition, candidates are usually worried about unnecessary questions and prejudice against them due to a long pause in their resume.

Anna Reznikova

Recruitment Team Lead/Account Manager at ITExpert

“I would say that hiring managers may indeed approach professionals with caution if they have a long break from work due to a sabbatical. However, I have not yet come across a single case where a person was not at least invited to an interview for this reason.

In addition, there are also cases that illustrate the opposite. I know a candidate who completely changed his field for several years. During this time, he ran his own business that had nothing to do with IT and coded only at will and for his own pleasure — no deadlines, only when and if he wanted to. He wanted to return to his career as a developer, and our team successfully found a position for him at a product company. He passed the probation without any problems, and the company was very satisfied with his performance.

Usually, the specialists who took the sabbatical are additionally asked why there was a long pause and what the person was doing during this period. Sometimes, at the interview, they may discuss whether the candidate feels ready for full-time work now and whether they might experience burnout in six months or a year, or even faster.”

It is up to you to decide if you need to introduce sabbaticals in your company and what the culture of sabbaticals will look like. Focus on the goals and available resources, and take into account the internal request. We hope you have plenty of resources and creative ideas during this process!

FAQ

What is a sabbatical?

A sabbatical is a long-term vacation with the preservation of one’s job. It is used to recharge one’s batteries and replenish creative resources for more productive work, to recover from stress, or to devote time to personal development, hobbies, and travel. Sometimes, people take year-long sabbaticals for creative purposes.

How long does the sabbatical last?

Everything is determined by your needs; you should take a break from work that will help you recover. However, you should take the following into consideration: the duration of sabbaticals available in your company; whether the sabbatical is compensated by the employer, and what financial cushion you have accumulated. Statistics show that, on average, a sabbatical lasts eight months, most often 9–12 months. Breaks of up to four weeks are usually insufficient for recovery.

Should a sabbatical be compensated by the company?

The availability of a sabbatical with job preservation in a company is already an extra bonus to the employer’s benefits package. It is less frequently compensated in full or partially from the employee’s salary. Studies show that 29% of businesses in the USA offer unpaid sabbaticals, while another 10% provide financial compensation.