Taking a sabbatical

Burned out? A sabbatical could be the answer—as long as you go about it the right way.
 Warm-up

Answer the questions

1. How long have you bee

working/studying
2. Do you feel like you are close to burnout
What are the symptoms
3. Have you heard anything about sabbatical?
?

Look at the given statements and guess the meaning of the

word “sabbatical

1. the day of the week kept by some religious groups for res
and worship
2. a period of time when a person is allowed to stop thei
usual work in order to study or travel, usually whil
continuing to be paid
3. the day of the week after Friday and before Sunday
;

 What is sabbatical?
Sabbaticals are a way for employees to take a period of extended leave from
work without quitting their job. They can bring bene ts to both employer and
employee, but they require careful planning and negotiation to ensure the
arrangement works for everyone
A sabbatical can last from a couple of months up to a year. Most sabbaticals are
unpaid, although a few employers do offer paid versions. Crucially, sabbaticals
are not just a long holiday and should have a sense of purpose to them that is in
some way related to your work (we'll discuss this in more detail later).
.

fi
 Read the sabbatical ideas. Would
you like to fulfill them? Why (not)?
Write a nove

You’re going to have a lot of time on your hand

now that you’re not reporting to a 9-5, and tha
creative idea has been taking up space insid
your mind for a while. Get it out on paper! Us
this extended leave from work to share you
knowledge and your narrative with the world
You now have the time to stew over plot point
and character qualities while sipping you
morning coffee. You can organize meetings wit
other local writers and build a communit
through your skillset.
l

 Voluntee

If your interests lie in making the world a better place to live

for people, for animals, for the sake of the environment
volunteering could be a good use of your sabbatical. You coul
spend your time helping a worthy cause while learning a lo
about yourself, and others, along the way. There are plenty o
opportunities to use your specific skill set to impact the world
If you’re great with people, you could host fundraisers, knoc
on doors, or man a phone bank to raise money for the caus
you’re most inspired by. If you’re better behind a compute
screen, you could donate your coding and design skills t
nonprofits who may not be able to afford a website or CR
tool that will help them accomplish their goals.
r

Seek Next-Level Education

A sabbatical may be the perfect time to pursue
higher level of education, or perhaps a secon
degree in a different concentration. Perhaps yo
want to enrol in an accelerated MBA program o
make a smaller investment and take a few classes a
a local college. Whatever the route, using this tim
away from your profession to learn is a great choice
Don’t stop at traditional education avenues either
invest in e-courses, head to a yoga studio to attai
your teacher training certification, ask the peopl
that you admire to teach you the thing that they’r
an expert in, set aside time to read more books
listen to podcasts (or start your own) - th
educational possibilities are endless.

 How about a Career Break?

When granting a sabbatical, the employer agrees to hold
your job open for you for a fixed period (or at least
guarantees that they will offer you a similar position at the
same level when you return). In this sense, sabbaticals differ
from career breaks – which are more informal, can last
longer than a year and do not necessarily imply that you will
return to the same company at the end.
Reasons
Pursuing a passion or interes
Discovering your purpose in lif
Developing skills related to your caree
Focusing on health or famil
Regaining balance to approach your career with new energ

Provide the list of your own reasons to take sabbatical!

y

 01
Gap year
Sabbatical year
/

 Customize
‘gap year’ or ‘bridgeit
year’

Meaning - *Constructive time

out in between life stages.

- Did you take a gap year at

your student’s age? Does it
seem rational in modern world?

 02
the term ‘sabbatical’ derives from the biblical
Sabbath which serves as an ancient human
need to build periods of rest and rejuvenation
into a lifetime
 Exercise

a) Explain the meaning of the words in bold

b) Fill in the gaps
enrol, an extended leave, rundown, stewing over, nonprofit
1. After many years of hard work he was on the edge of burnout and he was recommende
to take _______
2. This program was really necessary for him to get promoted, so he decided to ____ in
3. We can help by making donations to _________ that serve the homeless
4. You are not still _______ the election results, are you
5. After the cold war was over, we could observe ________ of the army in Europea
countries.
.

Homework