HR FYI

Big Media Reports on Big BreakAways!

Posted on: Thursday, September 26th, 2024
Posted in: HR FYI, Sabbatical Shuffle, Work/Life Hacking | Leave a comment

DSC_0250.jpegThis Swedish yacht—and countless young corporates—are ready to sail away on Sabbatical. 

Earlier this month, Apple News picked up a story from WSJ about our fave topic. For those (like myself) who have been preaching this gospel for 30 years, the article inspired both validation and woe—since that sort of fame has eluded me, though the sabbaticals themselves were the true motivation and most bounteous reward.

Penned by Cady North—an FA who recently completed her own 1-year hiking hiatus—“The Art of the Sabbatical” covers the usual challenges and costs, but with some freshly updated data, like…

• 80% of college students say that they’re open to time off or a volunteering break after graduation.

• If you make ~$90K/year and take one sabbatical per decade during your career, your IRA will likely be worth ~$650K less at age 65.

• So yes, these breaks may delay retirement!

• 6% of corporations offer paid sabbaticals, while 8% allow unpaid (Society for HRM).

  • But people often retire earlier than expected…

Who knows that the future of work looks like? Well, we have one hunch: VERY DIFFERENT THAN TODAY. So while younger workers rather assume they’ll work into their mid-60s or beyond, the truth is that, for some time now, folks are ditching careers much younger than their original life plan had mapped out.

So is the big leap worth the big risks? Well, this Think Tank thinks so. But we scream reminders (also mentioned in the article) to practice disciplined Fiscal Fitness like: Maximize retirement savings (when you can); live simply (when not celebrating); look for ways to stretch bucks when the travel time comes—like going where the dollar is strong, subletting the crib, and keeping an eye on return work options.

This crucial topic never really goes to sleep. Some of us who woulda shoulda coulda (and at times have) been the thought leaders admittedly take naps. But the dream never leaves the frontal lobes. It’s a daily curse…I mean blessing.

I might not be physically able…

Speaking of, while this writer still is mostly mobile, I MUST escape more time during the nasty MN winters. And see more of Portugal, Spain, and secret beaches. And, and, and… When I do, I’ll be sure and tell you all about it.

And maybe finally finish and publish one of MY books. Note to self: Keep the faith!

Got PTO? Use It or Lose It (Literally!)

Posted on: Tuesday, February 6th, 2024
Posted in: HR FYI, Sabbatical Shuffle, Spendology, Work/Life Hacking | Leave a comment

Why is that bucolic scene sitting empty? Because Americans are refusing to take their time—vacation time, sick time, family leave time, PTO, etc!

Our lovely local newspaper has been publishing articles pushing people to take their time off, dang it. And why not? We’re rich! While one story today announced that Americans now over over $1T in credit card debt, the flip side of that coin is this stunning factoid: We also have hundreds of millions of unused paid time off (AKA PTO).

  • Making time for what matters

Those 5 words may best summarize what BreakAway is all about. And really, if your employer gives you the gift of time, you’re not even really making it. You’re just not taking it. Which brings us to a longer variation of our $1m tagline:

  • Making and TAKING time for what matters MOST

Free time matters MOST! Mr. Johnson outlines some common-sense savvy on how to BreakAway from the vocation and find that vacation…we’ll honor those. But first, here are some convincing details about the profundity of the need…

We mentioned: 100s of millions of FREE days go unspent and often, lost.

Nearly ½ of employees don’t take all their days. (Pew)

As burnout rates keep rising, 2/3 of workers say time off is the cure. (Aflac)

Numerous studies prove that more R&R leads to less heart attacks, depression, etc.

Worried about keeping up? WRONG! Performance rates actually rise with time off. (E&Y)

Dream therapy: Even the planning and anticipation of time off lowers stress. (AAA)

R&R also clearly lowers stress. Which improves job attendance, performance, longevity. I mean…Sure, bosses want hard workers, but not sick (or dead!) ones.

  • Some ways to maximize your getaway potential

Over-achievers are always welcome, right? Well then, let’s look at ways to also achieve our potential as well-rounded, we’ll-rested relaxation renegades…

Extend holidays. 3-day weekend? Make it 4, 5, 6, or 7!

Seek staycations. Simplify the logistics and hunker down in your bed or hammock.

Maximize mental health days. Maybe you need it; or perhaps your parents or kids need your help. Don’t be shy. In fact, why not sneak in a narcissism day!?!

Avoid saving up your sickness days. Oh sure, you may need them worse later. But if you stay well rested and recreation-ed, you’re less likely to get sick!

Shop for another way to be away. As employers gradually broaden their offerings, ask about family leave, volunteer days, and bereavement. (Use that bereavement day to lament the lost days off you may have missed in your lifetime.)

  • SUB: It’s never too late to dream on

However you motivate yourself, put it to work! On BreakAways, not…work! Keep a fantasy file? Watch travel shows? Challenge yourself to (at least) one getaway per month? Say YES to invites that come your way? Visit those long-lost (and maybe aging) friends and relatives. Take off with that camera, guitar or other once-vital hobby.

I know, I know…it’s easy for me to say. While I HAVE worked hard (and sometimes still do), I’ve excelled at…Making and taking time for what matters most.

Please join me. Wherever we’re going. Hope to see you there…

Unpaid Sabbatical # Rises to 29%

Posted on: Sunday, September 24th, 2023
Posted in: HR FYI, Sabbatical Shuffle, Work/Life Hacking | Leave a comment

Pee-wee Herman, a hero in so many ways and here commemorated via crop art, lived his life as one large sabbatical awash in mirth and imagination.

WorldatWork is a large, multi-national HR consulting firm that has wandering tendrils in various places to improve employee performance and such. Their website and lingo are perplexing, though HR people no doubt speak that language. An unrelated article sprang their new sabbatical # on us. 29%?

  • A word about the source’s source

One Megan Preston Meyer, an author from Duluth who now hails from Switzerland (as one does), lived a corporate life before hanging up her Business Casual. She took a year off to write a book (as one does), and soon found herself creating children’s books, business books, recorded versions, and more—plus ideas for further endeavors.

Megan provides big inspiration for us BreakAway practitioners. She actually left the office, launched a savvy business, and moved somewhere both far away and idyllic. She seems committed to her blossoming garden of products and potential, though does now fantasize the unthinkable: Going back to the office for fresh blood:

I want to kind of refill my corporate bucket, so that I’ve got more inspiration…

  • Forever seeking a fresh # for unpaid sabbaticals

Thanks to WorldasWork for announcing that 29% is the new, magic number. But…do we believe it? (Apologies: This site claims to be an expert in such info, yet humbly admits to often being skeptical and flummoxed by the sketchy research, noise and static, and smoke and mirrors!) That said…

• Gusto, a payroll processor, reports that 6% of employees took unpaid sabbaticals in 2022—double the rate of 2019. (Think: Pandemic.)

• The Society for Human Resource Management asserts that 5% of employers offer paid sabbaticals; 11% provide unpaid leaves.

• Meanwhile, a 2019 Society for Human Resource Management survey found that 16% of companies offer sabbaticals, but only 5% are paid.

So…in conclusion! Our cause has a lot of work to do, and any # or math to prove our points can be…fuzzy. But that’s OK; we accept life’s unknowns, challenges, and aspirations with open minds and arms. That’s the mindset of seekers and leapers.

But maybe we DO need to dig deeper into this fresh-ish core data stuff. Like we often used to, back when MYBA launched…right about now…in 2008.

(HEY, HAPPY 15TH ANNI, everybody!)

And we send kudos and high 5s and American green jello to Megan Preston Meyer, once of Duluth, now of Switzerland, writing books and building her own brave new world. Sabbaticals, self-employment, creativity, Europe, a big idea. That’s a full boat! Enjoy every minute, Megan.

And as for the rest of us? We appreciate the inspiration. And today’s information. In which we once again ask the simple question: How many employers DO offer sabbaticals, anyway?

Well, we’re not sure. And the # seems about the…same as it ever was. But we KNOW the appreciation and demand for BreakAways is bigger than ever.

We can thank Covid, The Great Quit, and worker empowerment for these evolutions. See? Sometimes the silver lining (and wings) come out of what we on this site call The Bad Thing.

We wish The Bad Thing on no one. But be ready. That, or perhaps pennies from heaven may be falling in your future soon. Be ready. Your world awaits. Everything is right on schedule.

Keep the faith.

Remember Golf? It’s Back in Swing!

Posted on: Tuesday, August 15th, 2023
Posted in: HR FYI, Unplugging, Work/Life Hacking | Leave a comment

The 9-5 weekday workweek is fading away like a fine drive.

Golf in America has been through many, uh, rounds. Up, down, in, out, back again. But since Covid, people are spending more time on the links than ever. And much of it is on weekdays—when workers used to wallow in cubicles, not strut on greens.

It brings new meaning to work/life hacking!

  • Stanford study + geolocation proves the putt-point

Stanford and others have dug into the dirt on the golfing renaissance, with astounding findings like this…

278% more people are playing golf on Wednesdays at 4pm than before C-19

In Cali, visits have almost doubled on TU, W, and TH

Weekday rec goes beyond golf, and includes gyms, malls, tennis, hair, more

I remember golf booming—along with camping, bonfires, and other outdoor activities—during that lonely pandy period. Heck, I golfed plenty myself, and often with my children who were unexpectedly stuck at home. Heaven! (Even if my golf skills can include ill whiffs.)

But will this last, I wondered? Maybe so! Why? Because people are taking their time back!

  • Daybreak trend soars beyond the course

Lisa M. Kreiger’s article (San Jose Mercury News) also tells of lunches, dates, bike rides, family outings, and more happening on what used to be strictly Company Time. We at BreakAway practically weep with joy (as opposed to our tears on the course) that folks are taking their shot at prioritizing what matters.

And guess what? The economy is doing just fine, thank you.

Have we really redefined that delicate but often brutal work/life balance scale?

“It’s the little things, like having lunch with my husband on the back patio.”

~ Tina, Project Manager

  • What goes around becomes a round (Insert eyeroll emoji)

Way back in history, like, maybe only 100 years ago, before the industrial revolution (and later, the corporation/office-obsession explosion), people got their work done on their own schedules and terms. Think: Farmers. If that’s really happening again, we BreakAway mavens may be out of work soon.

Except…most people still work too hard and too often hit their most coveted long-term travel dreams into the rough. So we’ll keep preaching what we practice. And practicing what we preach.

Getting your life back? Good for you. Wanna escape to Thailand for 3 months…maybe check out their golf courses?

Hey, you’ve gone from all-day sales meetings to teeing off on Tuesday afternoon. So why not give it a shot!?!

REWORKING: Take Off Your (Work) Clothes!

Posted on: Tuesday, October 11th, 2022
Posted in: HR FYI, Sabbatical Shuffle | Leave a comment

Bye-bye dressy-ness; the post-pandemic workplace dress code has gone decidedly informal.

According to Bloomberg, heading back to the office after the pandy BreakAway has inspired a lot of women to kick the high heel habit. And dress more for the home office than the executive suite. Makes sense, because heels never made much sense anyway. Neither did neckties, but we wore them because, “You never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression.”

I recall enduring that choke for about a million impressions, though the splash of color added a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to otherwise drab days and settings. Having never tried heels, I can only imagine that for most feet, high heels hurt! Sorry, ladies; it wasn’t my idea.

  • Sneaking into new fashions…

Meanwhile, white sneakers are in—so learned one young lady who, says the article, showed up in heels to impress the execs she was meeting with…only to find that they were all clad in white tennies. Which begs the questions: Why are they called sneakers? Why are they called tennies (unless you happen to be playing tennis)? And why white? And after Labor Day? How terribly tacky!

I don’t mean to be flip here. After all, the article points out that many women suffered serious injuries when returning to the office in heels after two years of flip-flops at home. (To say nothing of the many men who gagged in neckties.) “The body doesn’t like any kind of abrupt change,” states a famous podiatrist. Amen to that. Returning to the office is abrupt change enough: Perhaps “dress to impress” has officially left the building.

  • What is casual dress, anyway?

There’s plenty of press about the shift (or is it a pivot?) in attire as people gradually, and probably begrudgingly, ditch their jammies for, well, not heels, but for whatever the new clothing ethos is. Some, I know, love showing off their $300 trendy t-shirt from the boutique on the North Loop. Others might be perplexed, especially if they already had a work wardrobe buttoned down. As one friend told me,

I tried casual and failed. Now I’m back to my suits and ties. I look better and it’s just easier. Think I’m overdressed? So sue me…

The point here remains: The world of work is changing so much, so abruptly and randomly, that even “what should I wear?” has taken on new meaning. And baggage. That’s probably a good thing, even if we all endure some new awkwardness.

In my case, this raises a new issue: What shall I do with all my neckties? I mean, I shipped ~100 to someone who works in a church and was happy for some freshies. Yet I kept a bunch that are beautiful, may come in handy, or were designed by Jerry Garcia. Silk art, maybe?

Oh well, I have a big closet. And as Jerry said, “In my world, everything is legal.”

ReWorking: Worker Burnout Becoming Big Worry

Posted on: Monday, September 19th, 2022
Posted in: HR FYI, Rants & Roadkill, Work/Life Hacking | Leave a comment


To quote Lady Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

If you google ‘worker burnout,’ prepare to feel the burn. It’s getting almost as much press as a certain recently-deceased queen, may she rest in peace. Methinks the Queen enjoyed such a long, revered reign precisely because she somehow avoided burnout.

If she can do it, maybe we can too.

A July 4 (freedom…ironic, no?) article digs into this hot topic and spins a lot of research numbers, including that 60% report often feeling a lack of interest, motivation, and energy while at work. In a way, such info feels like nothing new. However, the severity of the problem has no doubt lead to what we now call The Quiet Quit, or presenteeism, which is when people ‘go to work’ but do as little as possible. Or…nothing. (A future ReWorking topic—once we get over our case of presenteeism!)

One might call The Quiet Quit a terminal illness. Haven’t we all reached a point in some failing job where we don’t have the courage (or assets) to quit, yet might be relieved to be…terminated?

Can you say…severance package?

Once burnout takes hold, you’re out of gas, and you’ve given up all hope of surmounting your obstacles.

  • The 7 habits of fighting burnout

No, it’s not a book. Yet. But Forbes talks to Workhuman to gather these strategies to recover from burnout: Rest; improve your some self-care; take micro breaks at work (5-10 minutes); set work/life boundaries (and stick to them); meditate, including at work, if only for 5 minutes; have a place to vent (a friend, coworker, or certified vent-oligist); get professional support.

Yes, that last one means counseling. Which may be available at work (and may feel risky), through your healthcare, or any number of resources. That’s great, although it must be noted that the supply-chain crisis seems to have hit that world, also. And finding the right therapist for your issues can present challenges. Still, it’s worth a try. Just be…patient.

  • WHO validates the trend

The World Health Organization now includes burnout as a medical diagnosis, and an official International Disease. That’s heavy. But heavier yet is the sense that such a systemic dilemma flies above the purview and bandwidth of most employers, workspaces, and environments.

I mean, where and how do we begin to solve this epidemic that has been festering for decades, is an uninvited but inevitable dividend of the profit motive, and has been exacerbated by such enormous challenges as Covid, inadequate childcare, workspace scrambling, and entrenched cultural norms?

Nobody knows. But it’s refreshing to see attention and resources sounding loud alarms. Even if what we really need is more BreakAways, more balance, and more peace.

God save Lady Liberty. And the Queen.

May we all rest in peace.

ReWorking: 4-day Workweek Making Some Steps

Posted on: Monday, August 8th, 2022
Posted in: HR FYI, Sabbatical Shuffle, Work/Life Hacking | Leave a comment

Can you even imagine how a reduction in work hours would pep up employees?

As BreakAway’s ReWorking series continues to examine how US working norms transform in a (post?) pandemic world, today we look at how the 32-hour week has been gaining a smidgen of traction. This news comes courtesy of NerdWallet, probably the best financial advice source out there.

Just ask any FA; they’ll direct you away from their firm’s website and send you straight to the $ Nerds!

  • A Cali bill, a nonprofit foundation, + employer test kitchens

The 4-day week has its cheerleaders. In California, the legislature recently kicked it around, and likely will again. Elsewhere, nonprofit 4 Day Week Global promotes the concept out of Oxford University—and has launched some pilot programs with courageous companies worldwide. And when surveyed, 92% of US employees respond they support the idea, with 79% believing it would help their mental health, while 82% even claim it would make them more productive.

  • But oh, the obstacles…

Yet the questions fly around like irksome flies in August. Most of them are obvious, and might make any CEO lose his lunch…

• What would customers and clients think—would service & sales suffer?

• Who would tend to your emails/texts/zooms/meetings?

• How could this work in a 24/7 plugged-in world?

• Would the time reduction = a pay reduction? If so, who wants that?

• Might this mean 4 10-hour workdays, and how would daycare and other support systems feel? (And could the dog hold its pee/poop?)

  • As always, alternatives abound

NerdWallet and the experts quoted are quick to point toward ways to get some relief if the #32 still lacks magic. Of course, we’ve been preaching about them here for years. But for the sake of reminders, consider these common-sense salves: Take extended weekend BreakAways; try meeting-less Fridays; schedule time periods that are telepressure-free; prioritize at least a few hours a day that are completely work-unplugged.

Will the 4-day week become a thing? Probably not in our lifetime. And yet, I know many folks who have made similar custom arrangements—because they have the power to call shots, they are in family-intense years, or just have a savvy and collegial employer. They offer role-model inspiration and hope.

Year-round 3-day weekends, everyone? Keep the drum thumping and, as always…

Keep the faith.

FAST CO.: Interviewers Should Lighten up on Career Breaks

Posted on: Wednesday, April 20th, 2022
Posted in: HR FYI, Work/Life Hacking | Leave a comment


Work is important, and sometimes sweet. But bosses-to-be need to recognize that savvy employees need Big Breaks too—whether to handle life’s adversity or to savor some serendipity.

Earlier this week, FC published (what some might call) a paradigm-shifting article, “What’s Behind the Employment Gap?” They outline 14 approaches from 14 HR mavens about how to approach discussing career breaks in an interviewee’s resume—and the interviews that follow.

While short on overall analysis, the loud-and-clear upshot is that times have changed. Major league. The pandemic shook up the work world in unpredictable and unprecedented ways. But the Great Resignation that is sweeping the career world seems to have shifted much of the balance of power away from the Big Shots and into the ready arms of the Real People.

Here are some highlights shared by these HR authorities…

• “PTO may be a sign of maturity.” (2 words: Thank you!) {8 more words: Maybe working nonstop for 45 years is not!}

• A perspective boss may be curious and appreciate a way to address the gap, but, as one pundit puts it, “It truly isn’t any of my business.”

• Maybe time off now is the norm, not the exception. Brilliant: Have you heard about raising children? Is there any engaged parent who hasn’t needed time to make that arduous adjustment? Did you know that in Europe both new parents may get up to 6 months off? Are you aware that our sluggish congress someday may legally mandate Family Leave?

• Give them the benefit of the doubt. And while you’re at it, “Find out what they gained from the experience.”

• Don’t label it a shortfall. In fact, why not, “Frame it as an opportunity for learning and growth.”

• And finally…Consider the candidate’s maturity level. “No personal path or career path is straight.” LIFE happens. And that includes illness, family concerns, having kids, and making hard decisions. As one writer asserts, it would be easy to see taking career breaks as, frankly, ant-woman…since moms (and dads, right?) often must make tough choices about family versus career.

Conspicuously missing: Discussion of travel as the reason for a…BreakAway! Hmmmmm. We’ve much to say about that. But for now, let’s just embrace the miraculous victory that this quick-read article represents.

High 5s to Fast Company. 14 of their Executive Board Members, in fact. Who knew gnarly experiences like Covid-19, sheltering in place, and locking down offices would play out so poetically? (Well, some of us have been patiently waiting for WHATEVER might move the chains.)

As this site often states: You CAN have it all…just not all at once.

Keep the faith. 

Co’s Bending Toward Sabbaticals as Post-Pandy Perk

Posted on: Thursday, April 7th, 2022
Posted in: HR FYI, Sabbatical Shuffle | Leave a comment

If buildings can bend, like these in NYC, then bosses can too when it’s time to encourage employee BreakAways. 

Honestly, the flurry of sabbatical and career-break ink of late has been dizzying. At some point in history, we may look back at this workplace moment as not only one of the most challenging, but also innovative when it comes to employee empowerment.

Credit the pandemic—which for 2+ years has plundered work norms while somehow most of the economy kept afloat anyway. But that only began the reinvention; the Great Resignation somehow inspired millions of workers to quit their jobs and rethink work/life priorities entirely. And atop all that, younger people are less loyal. Older people are burning out. Offices suddenly seem more, oh, optional!

  • Flex, yes, but I want my FREEDOM too!

CBS Chicago reported a few days ago about trends in workplaces—newsworthy indeed as companies scramble to put Humpty-Dumpty back together. Flex work makes most headlines, but what does that mean? 1 day at the office? 4? That drama plays out daily now in offices everywhere

Pet stipends are also making some people purr—when your employer picks up the tab (and someone else picks up the doo-doo) to take your dog to the park while you’re at the cube farm. Transportation reimbursement (usually for mass transit) is gaining steam, as is education assistance. And a 4-day work week—already common in some countries for pre-pandemic reasons—is getting serious consideration in the US and again worldwide.

  • But the big score: The Sabbatical

CBS Chicago may not be the WSJ or The Economist in reach and influence. But when media everywhere are reporting on our BreakAway concept routinely, well, that’s Big News in itself. As a Northwestern professor put it, people want, “natural breaks, creative breaks.”

Funnily enough, that’s what this website has been preaching since 2008. Especially the “natural piece” (go somewhere! get outside! seek adventure!)…and the “creative” detail (recharge your ideas; use your hands; try something new).

If you’re going back to work-work, make it WORK for you. Now’s a good time to introduce the Powers that Be to the powers of offering employees worthwhile and feel-good perks. Atop the wish list are more vacation days, more unplugged times, and more SABBATICALS!

The Bosses at the top will love the improved morale, recruiting, and retention. And they’ll thank you. Later. Trust me!

ReWorking: LinkedIn Okays Career Breaks!

Posted on: Sunday, March 20th, 2022
Posted in: HR FYI, Sabbatical Shuffle, SoulTrain, Work/Life Hacking | One comment

Employers allegedly want neat, linear work histories. But most lives, especially those well-lived, more resemble a beautiful stack of abstract experiences.

Monster-networking SM site LinkedIn shocked the world on March 1 by suddenly—and finally—including career breaks as a viable way to describe the times that you were doing other things than working for MSFT (who owns LinkedIn). While most people would question the actual significance of LI, this is still both shocking and outstanding news.

LI even offers 13 options to describe your BreakAway, such as travel (yes!), bereavement, and caregiving. We’ll see if they add more over time, like joining the Great Resignation. Meanwhile, LI reports that “51% of hirers say they are more likely to contact a candidate that provides context about their career break.”

This development feels about, oh, 55 years late. But we rejoice in small victories—and this may represent a paradigm shift of sorts. So go ahead, be honest and update your profiles, y’all. BreakAway has always insisted that any employer worth working for will embrace people with interesting and well-rounded lives. Maybe the Linky world is catching up…