Some employers are willing to give their workers a certain amount of unpaid sabbatical* time, believing this benefits the individual and the organisation. Other employers see no merit in this arrangement and discourage it. Consider the possible arguments for and against unpaid sabbatical leave, and reach a viewpoint of your own.

The idea of offering

employees

sabbatical time has become quite fashionable recently, with some major companies believing it has great benefits.

However

, there is

also

substantial opposition to the concept, and we will discuss the two views now. Those employers who support unpaid sabbaticals often highlight the motivating effect which

such

leave can have on an

employee

. They feel that, at a time when people are under pressure, a certain amount of extended leave can allow someone to return to work feeling refreshed and more committed to the company. A second point in favour is that

such

leave does not cost the company anything, as the

employee

stops drawing a salary. Indeed, it seems that

such

breaks might actually save money, as departments can be downsized without the need for redundancies or compensation.

On the other hand

, many other employers feel that

this

practice has a disruptive effect which outweighs its possible benefit to the individual.

For example

, if

employees

have a certain skill or responsibility, they must be replaced by someone who is

similarly

qualified, probably involving a cost in training or hiring a new worker. Companies are

also

reluctant to allow skilled

employees

to drift away from their business, fearing, with some justification, that the person might lose interest or even go to work for a competitor.

Finally

, some employers feel that the whole idea of sabbaticals is more suited to an academic context

such

as universities or research institutes, where the

employee

will be working on personal interests which coincide with their field of study, which is rarely the case among corporate

employees

.

To sum up

, it seems true that the problems caused by unpaid sabbaticals do indeed outweigh the potential advantages.

Although

the individual

employee

may be refreshed, the disruption and costs caused by

this

absence are unreasonable for the company and for the colleagues left behind at work