1. Career Breaks

2. What are they Career breaks is when an employee takes a period of time off of there work to do something new and exciting. Examples include travelling around the world and raising children from a young age.

3. Sabbatical The word “sabbatical” is often used when your employer is keeping your job open. This type of career break is usually unpaid leave and there is no legal entitlement to it - you have to agree it with your employer Is usually between 1 month and 2 years long but 6 months to 2 years is the most common period of time. You can also take many career breaks that are less than 1 month

4. Advantages for staff The ability to take a break from work with confidence of returning at an agreed future date Continued contact with work and colleagues during the break Extending the standard maternity leave period until children have grown older The chance to step outside the world of work to refresh attitudes and skills Taking time out when younger with the intention of extending a career later

5. Advantages for employer When they return, they have new skills they can bring to the work place, such as communication, practical skills, or leadership They may also learn different ways of working, bringing greater efficiency to your company They develop confidence (this is a cliché but its something almost all career breakers mention) They don’t have to pay for the employee that is on the career break so they save money as it is unpaid leave The company is perceived as investing in their staff, meaning greater loyalty from employees (ultimately, offering career breaks can result in financial benefits for the company in the long term)

6. Disadvantages For staff: – A career break involves a break in service, which means that the service cannot count towards length-of-service pension calculations – They would not get money as they are not working

7. Disadvantages For employer: – They will have to keep the post open until that employee comes back from their career break – Will have to employ other staff to cover the job – Quite a lot of paperwork to be filled in by the employer (and employee)

8. Bibliography http://www.westessexpct.nhs.uk/pubs/pdfs/poli cycareerbreak.pdf http://www.thecareerbreaksite.com/employer- information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Career_break