Everything You Need To Know About Taking Sabbatical Leave
Sabbatical leave, (adult) gap year, career break, mini retirement… are all words that you have likely heard before. You may even have a vague idea of what they are. However, like one of those ideas that you’ve heard talked about once or twice, you may think of them as ideas for “other people.” Right? But, sabbaticals don’t have to be some pipe dream, they can be reality. For everyone!
So, what does that mean? What even is a gap year? How do you know where to go (if you even go anywhere)? How long do you go for? And how much money do you need? Sometimes the brain power it takes to answer all these questions can feel overwhelming. Further, it can make you feel like giving up on the idea of a gap year almost immediately. So let’s answer them together, one at a time.
What Is Sabbatical Leave?
In it’s simplest form, a sabbatical is extended time off work (or school). Sometimes, people like to associate other requirements before you can “really” call it a sabbatical. For example, some people won’t consider it a sabbatical unless your employer granted you the time off, and you will be returning to the same job. Others think sabbaticals are only for kids graduating from high-school or college and taking the time off before entering the workforce.
And yet even more people think sabbaticals are only for college professors who have reached their tenure. Now, have these groups been historically known for taking gap years? Yes. Does that mean they are the only people who can take gap years? Nope. All of this is just nuance. Career breaks (or should we call them life breaks?) are for anyone and everyone. Don’t let that societal pressure get you.
How Long Is A Sabbatical?
Now, here again, people like to make this more complicated than it needs to be. However, very simply, sabbatical leave is defined as more than a month. Anything less is just a vacation or time off. This is from the US point of view, where our normal time off is only a week or two. I say this because some Europeans may be reading this and thinking, “What? A sabbatical has to be longer than 3 months.” We get a guys! A month may be just a standard vacation for you, but it’s not for us. Okay? LOL.
If you are privileged enough to work for one of those unicorn companies out there that provide sabbatical benefits, then you may limit your mini retirement to that time. Of course, if you are like me, and you have already put in a ton of working years, then a month is not going to cut it. And you may want to take up to a year, or more, off. Regardless it’s all considered a sabbatical, and the time you take off is really going to depend on what you want to do during sabbatical. Which brings us to the next point.
Trying to decide where to go on a sabbatical? Take this quiz!
What Do You Do During Sabbatical Leave?
I think a lot of people would use a career break to travel. At least I know that is what I’m going to do. It’s a great time to get out there and slow travel through this beautiful world. But, you don’t have to travel. You actually don’t have to do anything. You could just rest. Doesn’t that sound heavenly?
Since a sabbatical is just a break from work or school for 1 month or more, you can use that time do anything you want. You could be a new parent and wanting to spend more time with your children post parental leave. Or maybe you are into health and fitness and want to take time to enter a fitness competition. Or become a certified personal trainer. Maybe you want to get your pilot’s license, or start a new business. You could hike the Appalachian Trail, or learn how to sail. There are so many ideas! I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the world is your oyster friends.
How Much Money Do You Need?
So I’m unfortunately going to leave you with a very unsatisfactory answer here. An answer we accountants know well. It depends. Sabbatical leaves are so nuanced and individualized, that it’s almost impossible to say. So instead, I’m going to write an entire blog post on how to narrow it down and establish a target budget. So more to come! In the mean time, enjoy this photo of the Annaly Bay Tide Pools. A destination you can include on your sabbatical pathway (if you want!)
So don’t be intimidated by the words sabbatical leave, career break, gap year, or mini-retirement anymore. Now that you know what they are, you can start to plan! Have a plan ready for the next blog post on how to budget and save for one, because that will help bring your plans into reality!
What would you do with extended time off work? Let me know in the comments!
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