How to ask for - and get - a sabbatical from work

Imagine putting aside all the stresses of work to go travel the world, write a novel, or go on a retreat. Sound impossible? A career-killer?

With more workplaces recognizing the benefits of giving employees a better work-life balance, sabbaticals are no longer just for academics. Mid-career breaks can give you some space to take stock and re-evaluate your priorities, and if done right, re-set you on your career path with a greater sense of purpose.

If you’re ready to take some serious time off, here are a few things to consider.

1. Decide why you’re taking a break:

Caird Urquhart, a personal and business life coach and the president of Newroad Coaching in Toronto, says the most fundamental question to ask yourself is what you want to achieve with the time off.

Otherwise, your sabbatical can easily slip away with not much to show for it, she warns.

"You need to decide why you’re taking the sabbatical. If it’s just because you’re tired and want to take time off, that’s kind of a weak reason," she says.

Some people take sabbaticals because they need to recover from some kind of trauma, such as a divorce or an illness. Others want to take a crack at fulfilling a dream, like working on an invention, or taking a safari. Others simply want to lose some weight or get healthy.

Urquhart says she herself once took several weeks off after she underwent knee surgery and developed a frozen shoulder, all within weeks of her mother’s death.

"I was a basket case," she admits. "...So my goal was to get back to full productivity, to get both physically and mentally better."

2) Be sure there aren’t other solutions first:

Not every workplace is going to be warm to the idea of giving employees extended time off. So before asking for a leave, she suggests trying to shake up your life in general.

For example, take courses in stress reduction, yoga or meditation. Join a gym. Find a new social group or sports team and see if that helps improve your outlook.

She also believes that a lot of people get into ruts, and it’s that same old routine that is dragging them down. "They’re not in a place of being overwhelmed; they’re in a place of boredom," she says. So take some time to review what needs to change.

Another option is to see if you can work different hours at your workplace. Many workplaces have become more flexible with hours, for example allowing employees to work from 6 to 2 if they’re early risers, deciding that as long as employees get the work done, it doesn’t matter when they come in.

"Some people have different rhythms and work better in certain hours. See if you can adjust your work hours and your schedule to that," she suggests.

Only after you’ve exhausted all other options should you consider asking for time off, because it’s not a request you likely will be permitted to ask again.

"A sabbatical is a luxury; you’re probably not going to get another one," she says.

3) Set a plan:

Once you’ve decided that a sabbatical is the way to go, map out how you are going to spend your time. Review your mission and make a plan for how to get there.

"I often talk about having an A-team around you when trying to reach a particular goal," says Urquhart. "That means surrounding yourself with people who will help you achieve your goal. So if you’re leaving for health reasons, make sure you’ve lined up psychotherapists, physiotherapists -- whatever you need so you can get better, for example."

Urquhart says that when her grandfather thought he was having a breakdown, he took a sabbatical from his business, went out into the wilderness with some aboriginal men and spent his time canoeing and living among the trees. "And that’s how he recovered," she said.

Have a very firm plan for being productive on your time off, she advises -- even if that means doing absolutely nothing.

4) Make your pitch:

The last step is to approach your employer.

Urquhart advises being prepared to explain to your supervisors why you need the time away; what your goal is with the time off; what you plan to do to reach that goal; and how much time you think you’ll need to get there.

It’s also important to show your employer how your sabbatical will benefit them. "You want to make sure you pitch it as if it’s to their benefit, that it will improve your ability to work for them," she says.

That might mean letting them know you’ll be coming back with new skills or certificates or a published work. Or it might mean coming back as a refreshed, more productive employee.

Employers know that letting you go on leave is a risk, but it’s one that could work in their favour.

"It’s going to end one of two ways: either they come back or they don’t. Either way, as an employer, you win. Because you don’t want dead weight in your company," she says.