Important Tips To consider before Requesting a Career Break

You may want to ask for a career sabbatical for a variety of reasons, including the chance to earn qualifications or travel more. Your organisation allowing you to take more time off may sound a little bit unrealistic to you. Career vacations for charities, however, could also have a lot of advantages.

If you are considering thinking of taking a long break from work, do consider this points before you do:

Why the leave?

Be sure that the motive for taking a leave are clear before making a request a professional break, and that you have a plan in place for how you’ll spend the time off.

How probable is it that after returning, you’ll want to continue working for the same organisation and role? Think about how probable it is that this will change when you return if one of the reasons you are taking a career break is because you feel stuck in your current position.

We should be able to take pauses from our careers without having to justify them. The type of break that is most likely to be accepted, though, could need you to be practical.

What are the likely dangers you could face when you request a professional break?

Sadly, your employer is not required by law to reinstate you in your position after you return. This is a risk that increases with the length of your career break. Along with losing your pay and pension payments, you will not be compensated while on leave. Make sure you do the maths before requesting a career break to determine if you can afford the fees that it will entail.

Depending on how long you are gone, changes may have occurred in your company or the sector during that period. This implies that it can take you some time to get back into the swing of things once you return, which may be delaying down your chances of receiving a promotion.

How can you request a break in your career?

You can begin considering how to approach this with your employer now that you are aware of your motivation for requesting a career break.

This is the best method to approach asking for a career break.

1. Determine whether a policy already exists.

Policies addressing career pauses are already in place in some firms. They may also be allowed under what conditions and for how long. In your contract or employee handbook, you might find this information. If not, you can speak with the HR division or your manager about this.

1. Consider your influence within the company.

To ensure that your accomplishments at work are recognised and valued, cultivate excellent working relationships with your manager and coworkers. Take advantage of any chances to learn from coworkers’ knowledge in your field of work. Your managers will be more inclined to tolerate your career sabbatical if you have important industry expertise and they can tell that you work hard. This will prevent them from losing your talent.

1. Provide ample opportunities for an advance notice

It’s best if your request isn’t too shocking for the recipient. It’s ideal if, before you ask, your manager is already aware of your motivations for wanting to take a career sabbatical. You might have mentioned to them, for instance, that you’re seeking additional chances to obtain knowledge or expertise in various fields or that you want to cultivate a more global outlook.

Timing is crucial when addressing issues like taking a career hiatus. The ideal time to bring up career development is at a performance review or one-on-one meeting. Make sure the time you select isn’t overly demanding on your manager or the business.

1. Clearly highlight what your organization stands to gain for letting you leave.

When you approach your manager about taking a career break, one of the first considerations that will likely spring to mind is the potential impact on the company. They’ll be very conscious of financial restrictions, as well as the costs associated with finding a replacement or training coworkers to fill your function, especially at a charity. They could probably do without having to organise and manage as much as they do.

If you can demonstrate how taking a career sabbatical will benefit the organisation, your request will be granted far more likely. Will you develop your leadership abilities if you offer your time? It is possible to acquire new skill while away and that will be valuable when you are back.

Also emphasise how your mental health will improve by taking a career vacation. More engaged at work and more productive in their roles, employees who report higher levels of job satisfaction also exhibit these traits. You’ll be more motivated and eager to start working again when you go back if you’ve had the chance to advance both professionally and personally.

So What next  if they disagree?

Regardless of your best efforts, your company can decide not to grant your request for a career sabbatical. Try to ascertain the rationale behind their choice if this occurs. You and the charity might yet be able to come to an amicable agreement. If your career leave is for a shorter amount of time, they might be more open to accepting it.

Alternately, is it possible for you to still accomplish some of your objectives by working less or from home? Having more flexibility may allow you to continue working while also taking time off for vacation or other interests.

If a compromise is impossible, you might have to assess if your existing stance is sufficient to suit your needs. Examine your level of job satisfaction in detail. It might be time to leave if you believe the organisation doesn’t fit well with your lifestyle.