Burnout Relief at Work: What Is a Sabbatical

In 2019, the World Health Organization officially recognized emotional burnout as a medical condition.

WHO specialists define emotional burnout as “a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress.”

Emotional burnout syndrome is characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion, leading to decreased activity, loss of productivity and motivation, and consequently, reduced effectiveness, lowered emotional responsiveness, unwillingness to communicate with certain people, and so on.

Emotional burnout has a cumulative effect—it’s not an illness that appears overnight.

One way to combat this condition is through a sabbatical. The term “sabbatical” comes from the word “sabbath” (a sacred day of rest) and literally means “to stop doing something.”

A sabbatical is a professional time-out. It is a paid or partially paid extended leave lasting from three months up to a year (or more) with guaranteed job protection.

The concept of the sabbatical originated in the 19th century at Harvard University: a professor who had worked for more than six years earned the right to take a one-year creative leave.

Today, many European and American companies offer this type of leave, including Google, Intel, IBM, eBay, Genentech, BMW, American Express, and others.

Employees often take a professional time-out to improve their skills, pursue further education, or focus on their health. The reason is agreed upon individually with each employee, but the employer cannot take away their job.