How To Design A Travel Sabbatical Without Quitting Your Job

According to Workable, a sabbatical is a long break from work, ranging from one month to a year, where employees typically pursue their personal interests. A travel sabbatical, in particular, is time taken to travel, learn from other cultures, and rejuvenate. In order to design a sabbatical, you need to identify the reason you need this experience and, more importantly, how to articulate it. What are you planning to do during your time off? How long do you need?

Depending on your reasons, you could design either a micro-sabbatical or a long-term sabbatical.

There are several ways to design a brief sabbatical, and the first step is to map out the vacation days you have for the entire year in advance. This way, you’ll know how much work-free time you have, like how many weekend getaways you can squeeze out without going over your allotted PTO time. Here are a few ways to do this:

1. Maximize Your Annual Leave: You can use your allotted paid time off for the whole year at a go, which ranges from ten days to a month, depending on your company, to take a lengthy sabbatical.

2. Piggyback on Your National Holidays: You can spread your paid time off strategically in addition to weekends and public holidays to lengthen your vacation time. For example, try planning a 2-week vacation over a 3-day-weekend holiday like Memorial Day or Labor Day. That extra holiday in there can turn a 16-day vacation into only 9 PTO days. 

3. Leverage Professional Trips: Some company roles require travel to ideal locations for work, and you can leverage this trip and explore the destination for your own pleasure. You can choose to stay a few days longer and simultaneously save money on theflight and accommodation. 

Another way to design a lengthy travel sabbatical is to formally request one from your company. They are normally given to employees who have worked at a company for a certain amount of time, usually around 5 years (though this can vary). Paid or unpaid, you can acquire one by following these steps:

1. Check The Company’s Policies: Gather information about your employer’s policies, culture, and expectations regarding sabbaticals. If your company already has a sabbatical policy, you should follow it. It should explain the criteria for applying and the application process.

If there isn’t a policy in place, you should have a conversation with a human resources representative or your immediate supervisor to determine whether they would consider it. Ask what they might need from you to make it happen. Doing your research will help tailor a request to fit your employer’s needs.

2. Prepare A Proposal: In this document, you have to outline the purpose that’s driving your request. Clearly outline what you plan to do, the duration of the leave you’re requesting, and the specifics of your proposal. Emphasize that the request is for a legitimate reason, and reassure your employer that it does not involve any conflicting business interests or activities that could raise concerns.

Show that you have thought about how you’ll keep up to date with the role, how you’d like to engage with the organization while you’re away, and how your responsibilities could be covered. You also need to address any potential concerns or objections that your employer might have, such as the impact on your productivity, quality, and teamwork, the risk of losing your skills or clients, or the effect on your career progression or compensation.

You need to demonstrate that you have considered the implications and consequences of your request, and that you have a plan to mitigate any negative effects and maximize any positive outcome.

3. What Are The Benefits For Your Organization?: It’s necessary to demonstrate the value of this request to your company, especially upon your return. Highlight the potential advantages for the organization. Find out what’s important to your employer and how your request meets their aims and priorities. You can show how this sabbatical might increase your productivity, help you gain new skills, and enhance the company’s image. 

4. The Return Plan: Prepare a plan for how you intend to return to work after the sabbatical. Explain how your skills or perspectives you’ve gained will improve and how this will benefit the company.