A senior executive returns from overseas with a clarified vision for his company. A vice president comes back from across town with an advanced college degree. A middle manager returns from a volunteer effort with a new way to organize her team. An engineer returns with the solution to a complex design problem. The quiet guy from the mailroom comes back with published copies of his first book. Around the world, sabbaticals – strategic job pauses that last from four weeks to a year – are giving business leaders a powerful new tool for managing human capital and advancing their organizations. Companies with sabbatical programs – both paid and unpaid – are boasting vibrant cultures of collaboration, engagement, and loyalty. They’re saving money, broadening their employees’ skills sets, and boosting their ability to innovate. And all generations, genders, and career levels are getting in on the action.
