Had enough? Want to break out of your rut completely? Escape, catch your breath and travel. Simply take a breath and find new direction? Some further training would do you good, or just a chance to try out a completely different field. Maybe your lifelong dream is waiting to finally come true. But your everyday life holds you back. How could something like that even work? After all, you have to earn money regularly. And you don't want to put at risk the financial security you've built up over many years. Have you ever thought about taking a break? Then a sabbatical is exactly right for you.

Sabbatical - How Does It Work?

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The term sabbatical originally goes back to the Old Testament. After six years of hard work, the people of Israel were to observe a sabbath: a whole year of rest. The sabbatical year found its way into modern life through academia, where it was originally intended as a leave of absence or research semester. Through the universities, the sabbatical year then spread to the rest of the working world. Today there are many different options, often regulated by collective agreements, for stepping back from working life for a year without giving up your salary and social security.

The most common variants are saving up overtime or extra hours and then cashing them in for a longer break. Of course, this can take quite a long time, so a sabbatical may seem very far off. A much more foreseeable and manageable option is the one that works through a partial salary reduction. For example, you give up a third of your salary for six years and in the seventh year you keep being paid at that level without having to work for it.

Sabbatical - What You Need to Keep in Mind

Depending on whether you work in the civil or public service, are employed in the private sector and are covered by industry-specific collective agreements, there are detailed rules for a sabbatical year. Company agreements can also regulate your time off. These many rules can't even begin to be covered here. That's why the most important thing for you is this: find out about existing arrangements for a protected break at your company.

Being well informed is the best foundation for the conversations that follow. Talk to your supervisors. Explore the options, explain what your needs and goals are, and also share your thoughts on what opportunities and advantages your employer gains when you return to your job refreshed after a year off.

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Put Your Sabbatical in Writing

Once you finally reach an agreement, be sure to put it in writing. It's always good, and when in doubt very important, that everyone involved can remember the arrangements that were made. If you keep this in mind, nothing stands in the way of your time off.

Benefits of a sabbatical:

  • Rest and recovery for the employee
  • Renewed energy for work
  • A win for the employer, who gets a well-rested employee back