What Types of Sabbaticals Are There?
Travel Sabbatical
See the world, or just part of it. Experiencing another culture never fails to provide a new perspective on what we have at home.
Green Sabbatical
Companies interested in social responsibility can give employees time out to help with a clean-up project, further a renewable energy effort, or do field research. Whether tagging sea turtles or working with an approved environmental group, the individual learns how to help the earth and his or her company reaps the benefits of supporting “green” causes.
Volunteer Sabbatical
This program gives employees an opportunity to donate time to a charity they and their companies believe in, such as Habitat for Humanity, teaching English to Guatemalan children, or helping with a church missionary project. The possibilities are endless and endlessly rewarding.
Innovation Sabbatical
This program stimulates fresh thinking by giving employees the opportunity to experience a different work culture, inside or outside their own industry. Upon their return, the insight they gained while “out of the box” fuels their creative juices and provides fresh inspiration for their coworkers as well.
Family Sabbatical
Many companies give employees the opportunity to spend time with their kids or take a trip with an aging parent. Providing a solid block of quality time with family members helps these people balance their priorities and gain perspective and renewed energy for their workplace objectives.
Learning Sabbatical
Educational sabbaticals enable employees to finish an MBA, become fluent in a second language, earn certification in a software program and more.
Research Sabbatical
These programs enable employees to take time out to develop a new product or business process, or work on a project, book or theory.
Lifelong Goal Sabbatical
This program allows employees to re-energize themselves by chasing a lifelong dream such as acting in a theater production, competing in a triathlon, or hiking Mt. Everest. Going after an audacious goal – and conquering it – can create powerful momentum for the individual and the company that fosters that achievement.
Personal Growth Sabbatical
This time out for self-reflection can take the form of a silent meditation retreat, reading a stack of self-help books, or even filling up a journal with reflections, hopes, and plans. However it is done, individuals return with a personal clarity that might not have been possible otherwise.
Hybrid Sabbatical
This program allows employees to plan a sabbatical that includes two or more of the above.