Sabbaticals – retention tool or pie in the sky?

Taking an eight-week sabbatical from work may sound like a pipe dream.

But for many employees, taking an extended leave is just what they need to break the monotony of work or to rejuvenate their careers.
A generation ago, sabbaticals were the exclusive domain of universities, where academics would go away for a year to write a book or to pursue their academic studies.

In response to an increasingly tight labour market and greater demand for highly skilled workers in the '80s and '90s, companies began exploring alternative work arrangements such as job sharing, offsite work, flexitime, reduced hours, phased retirement — and sabbaticals.

Norma Tombari, a senior manager of diversity and workforce solutions at RBC Financial Group, has found that sabbaticals are a great way to attract and retain prospective employees.

In the corporate world, sabbaticals are offered as a way of attracting and retaining workers and of boosting productivity. Employees use this holiday from work to pursue hobbies, participate in a social-service project or to just plain relax.

The term sabbatical has several interpretations depending on the company or institution offering it. Some view it as a paid leave, while others view it as an unpaid leave. Not all companies are sold on the merits of paid or unpaid leaves. In fact, some large companies have discontinued offering sabbaticals altogether, citing they were too difficult to quantify and too disruptive among employees who often had to cover for an absent worker.

Yet the overriding benefit to the employer is that an employee will return to work more energised about his or her job. Of course, there is always the chance that employees will find greener pastures while away on sabbatical. But is the risk worth taking if it means retaining highly skilled staff?
Retention specialist Recrion predicts that sabbaticals could become more popular and workable in the next few years as the skills shortage worsens.

www.recrion.co.uk