Sabbatical: What story to tell my employer?

F

freed2017

Dryer sheet wannabe
Joined
Jan 23, 2017
Messages
16
I have been working for the government for 18 years but for the agency that currently employs me for only one year in June. My work conditions allow for a sabbatical after 7 years of government employment. However start and end dates are negotiable.
My plan is to take a one year sabbatical starting in July and not come back at the end. I have been mulling over what to tell my employer.

Option 1 : the truth: I want out but as I am still young (45), I want to make sure I am not making a mistake.

Option 2: my husband is taking a sabbatical and we would like to do this together (implying that I will come back, which might seem more acceptable).

Option 3: wait longer so that taking a sabbatical will be more acceptable after a longer period of employment for my current employer. However, I don't think that I would wait longer than December of this year.

Any advice?
 
I should also have mentioned that my husband will actually Fire this summer.
 
freed2017 said:
I have been working for the government for 18 years but for the agency that currently employs me for only one year in June. My work conditions allow for a sabbatical after 7 years of government employment. However start and end dates are negotiable.
My plan is to take a one year sabbatical starting in July and not come back at the end. I have been mulling over what to tell my employer.

Option 1 : the truth: I want out but as I am still young (45), I want to make sure I am not making a mistake.

Option 2: my husband is taking a sabbatical and we would like to do this together (implying that I will come back, which might seem more acceptable).

Option 3: wait longer so that taking a sabbatical will be more acceptable after a longer period of employment for my current employer. However, I don't think that I would wait longer than December of this year.

Any advice?
Click to expand...

First, you have two separate decisions to make.

1. Do you want to take a sabbatical, and
2. Assuming that you took the sabbatical, at the end of the approved leave - do you want to return to work. You do not have to answer this question until after you have taken the sabbatical.

If it were me, I'd submit my paperwork for the dates that you would like to take the sabbatical and if you have to state a reason I'd say something like - to take advantage of personal opportunities that I am still healthy enough to take advantage of. No more/No less.

Many moons ago, I worked for an International Non Profit and had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania on multiple occasions. On one of the flights I spoke with a gentleman who was travelling ot Arusha in order to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Anyway, it sounded fascinating and I had set myself a goal that one day that I would do the same.

Five years later I experienced a severe health problem (severe arthritis) whereby I was not able to live out that dream. In retrospect, I wish I made the trek when I was fit and able because little did I know what life had in store.

Years later, I'm pleased to say that medical advances have treated the severe arthritis, but I am much older now and do not have the same energies that I had 20 years ago.

Bottom line: Just Do It!

Michael
 
What a tangled web we weave...

Is this sabbatical paid, or just a promise that you can return to work when it ends? Is there some expectation that you will be accomplishing some professional objective which justifies the time off, like taking courses or executing a research project?

If there is compensation involved, I consider this an ethics question that nobody can answer for you. Would you be taking money under false pretenses?

If there aren't any commitments either way, and you truly want to make sure you are "not making a mistake", then why not just tell them you want to exercise your option to take an unstructured sabbatical per the employee policy? There should be no need to make up stories involving your husband. Just go. Test drive early retirement, and if it works out well, then tell them you won't be able to come back.

Maybe the best and simplest advice is, "Be careful, but not dishonest."
 
I took a 12 week unpaid sabbatical a few months after I got married. I was honest about my intentions (to travel with my husband who was also taking a sabbatical). My boss, a workaholic, did not understand but *his* boss did. Best decision I made. Had a great series of trips.
 
Do you really know what the truth is (or will be in a year)? Plans can and often do change! If you want it, take it saying you just want a break or whatever makes you feel good. Leave your options open, the government and/or any private company would.
 
Last edited:
I would keep your options most open as you do not know what you will want at the end of that year. Good luck and have fun!
 
Mdlerth said:
Is this sabbatical paid, or just a promise that you can return to work when it ends? Is there some expectation that you will be accomplishing some professional objective which justifies the time off, like taking courses or executing a research project?



If there is compensation involved, I consider this an ethics question that nobody can answer for you. Would you be taking money under false pretenses?



If there aren't any commitments either way, and you truly want to make sure you are "not making a mistake", then why not just tell them you want to exercise your option to take an unstructured sabbatical per the employee policy? There should be no need to make up stories involving your husband. Just go. Test drive early retirement, and if it works out well, then tell them you won't be able to come back.



Maybe the best and simplest advice is, "Be careful, but not dishonest."
Click to expand...



The sabbatical is unpaid with no strings attached on my part. My employer, on the other hand, guarantees that I will reintegrate my position, or an equivalent one, at the end.
 
Thanks to you all for your encouragements and for sharing your personal stories. My resolve is already stronger...I plan to give three months notice at the end of April/beginning of May.
 
The truth is that you probably won't know whether you want to return to work until after you have taken the sabbatical... since it is unpaid, I wouldn't lose much sleep about taking it and then deciding towards the end of the sabbatical.
 
Take the sabbatical. They are offering you a free option to come back in a year. Take advantage of it.
 
brewer12345 said:
Take the sabbatical. They are offering you a free option to come back in a year. Take advantage of it.
Click to expand...

+1

As a university faculty member, I once had an unpaid sabbatical for one year. I had to wait a year because a more senior colleague had requested one. I had to make an application justifying the activities I planned, and how they would benefit my department on my return. I had to commit to returning to my job and staying for at least one year after the end of the sabbatical. had to increase my on call time before and after, so that my colleagues would not be inconvenienced. I had to submit a comprehensive report to the university bigwigs detailing what I had learnt and how it would be used.

Compared to that, you have it easy. Just take it and keep your options open.
 
The consensus is to go for it. However, I see no mention of the fact that I am essentially letting down my team/boss who will have to compensate for my absence while I am out there having fun. It is much harder to replace someone leaving temporarily. And having held my position for only a year makes it worse. I think that what is holding me back is guilt. But I guess that you can't have your cake and eat it too. Any thoughts on how to deal with guilt?
 
So many people on this site have made statements of how they thought megcorp couldn't survive without them. We all find out sooner than later this isn't the case most of the time. Go have some fun!!
 
freed2017 said:
The consensus is to go for it. However, I see no mention of the fact that I am essentially letting down my team/boss who will have to compensate for my absence while I am out there having fun. It is much harder to replace someone leaving temporarily. And having held my position for only a year makes it worse. I think that what is holding me back is guilt. But I guess that you can't have your cake and eat it too. Any thoughts on how to deal with guilt?
Click to expand...

1. You could pay $150 an hour to a Counselor who will try to help you quash your guilt, or

2. You could just recognize the fact that people come and go every day in all walks of life and that it is important to keep the mindset that you are more important than your j*b.

BTW - I have had a couple of BAD J*BS in my life and after the last dysfunctional one, I changed my mindset to view myself as a Temporary Employee no matter where I w*rk or what I did. This has been really helpful for me as I do not get personally attached to w*rk anymore.

Have FUN!

Michael
 
freed2017 said:
The consensus is to go for it. However, I see no mention of the fact that I am essentially letting down my team/boss who will have to compensate for my absence while I am out there having fun. It is much harder to replace someone leaving temporarily. And having held my position for only a year makes it worse. I think that what is holding me back is guilt. But I guess that you can't have your cake and eat it too. Any thoughts on how to deal with guilt?
Click to expand...

It's possible they may hire a permanent worker for your job and just slot you into another position when/if you return. Is this a fair tradeoff for you? If you like your exact position and think you might end up working a few more years, this is a possible downside. Also, if you want to keep working and the office has to do too much extra work when you are gone, your co-workers might harbor some lingering hard feelings when you come back.

It kind of seems like you want to have your cake and eat it too, which is understandable but might leave some hard feelings in your workplace. Only you can decide what is most important to you
 
Last edited:
freed2017 said:
The consensus is to go for it. However, I see no mention of the fact that I am essentially letting down my team/boss who will have to compensate for my absence while I am out there having fun. It is much harder to replace someone leaving temporarily. And having held my position for only a year makes it worse. I think that what is holding me back is guilt. But I guess that you can't have your cake and eat it too. Any thoughts on how to deal with guilt?
Click to expand...

Two easy ways, short term and long term:

- In the short term, recognize that if they found you surplus to current requirements you would be lucky to get so much as a nice goodbye. Employers can and do chuck people out on a moment's notice and you are no different.

- In the long term, you will be easily replaced. Sorry to say, but we are just cogs in the machine and for the vast majority of workers there are plenty of replacement cogs out there.
 
freed2017 said:
The consensus is to go for it. However, I see no mention of the fact that I am essentially letting down my team/boss who will have to compensate for my absence while I am out there having fun. It is much harder to replace someone leaving temporarily. And having held my position for only a year makes it worse. I think that what is holding me back is guilt. But I guess that you can't have your cake and eat it too. Any thoughts on how to deal with guilt?
Click to expand...

That's your boss' problem to deal with... that is part of s/he gets paid for. No need for any guilt... they will adapt... no one is indispensable.

Do you think they would have similar trepidation if the situation were reversed and they had to RIF you? Probably not.. like you they would not ba happy about it but would deal with it.
 
Michaela said:
1. You could pay $150 an hour to a Counselor who will try to help you quash your guilt, or



2. You could just recognize the fact that people come and go every day in all walks of life and that it is important to keep the mindset that you are more important than your j*b.



BTW - I have had a couple of BAD J*BS in my life and after the last dysfunctional one, I changed my mindset to view myself as a Temporary Employee no matter where I w*rk or what I did. This has been really helpful for me as I do not get personally attached to w*rk anymore.



Have FUN!



Michael
Click to expand...



I choose 2 ... AND I intend to use this forum as an affordable alternative to 1.

Thanks for the advice, I'm sure I wouldn't be better off with a pricey counselor!
 
No guilt. You just change your mind. People do that all the time. But seriously you are just a small potato.
 
An update on my situation. Last week, I gathered all my courage and resolve and asked my boss for a one year sabbatical. She was very understanding, even said that she herself had been in the same position some time ago (although her plan did not materialize in the end). A few days later she told me that her boss was not so enthusiastic as she felt they were already short-handed. However, we discussed possible solutions to compensate for my absence. She plans to offer one of my colleagues the opportunity to take up some of my supervisory functions and hire someone on a one year contract.
My sabbatical will start at the end of August, a bit later than I hoped for but hey, I can't complain. I am not sure when the annoucement will be made to my team and what reactions to expect.
The thought of having all that free time hasn't yet sunk in. For his part, DH will be FIRiNg at the beginning of June.
I am planning to make the most of that year, not knowing at this point if I will return to work afterwards, but hoping it will not be necessary. We plan a trip to French Polynesia in mid september. And another trip south to escape the worst of winter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
How to approach Expected Inheritance?
2 3
Replies
63
Views
7K
Keim
Keim
K
60 and change and looking forward to FIRE
Replies
15
Views
1K
Koolau
Koolau
C
Roth 401(k) rollover to Roth IRA question
Replies
9
Views
643
CSdot
C
A
Burnt out CPA
Replies
7
Views
2K
MichaelB
MichaelB
D
Retired in 2017@42
Replies
10
Views
912
Koolau
Koolau

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom