Sabbat­ical

A sabbatical is generally suitable for everyone who needs a break from work. The first step towards this is discussing your plans with your employer. We recommend the following:

• Before the discussion, you should think about the specific working time model and regulations you have in mind.

• Contact your employer well in advance and inform them that you want a break. Be open about your reasons and motivation.

• Show them why the the employer would also benefit from you taking a sabbatical.

• Try to provide some suggestions for any issues which remain unresolved. Make every effort to take the interests of your employer into consideration.

• Keep a written record of all of the details of your agreement with your employer. The more detailed your agreement is, the lower the risk that there will be any misunderstandings when you come back to work.

Part-time model
In the part-time model, you agree to a temporary part-time contract for a predefined period. However, you will actually be working full time hours, simply with a lower level of pay. The unpaid overtime is built up in an overtime account. You can then use the time you have saved up to take your break.

Salary reduction
If you choose this option, only part of your salary will be paid over a predefined period. The other part is saved as credit. While you are on leave, you will continue to receive the decrease salary without having to work.
These two models involve working for a certain amount of time before your sabbatical, but your employer will continue to pay your salary along with social insurance contributions.

Unpaid leave
Unpaid leave is frequently used for sabbaticals. Under this model, your employment contract is put on hold during your sabbatical. However, this also means that you will not receive a salary or social insurance contributions from your employer if your sabbatical lasts for more than a month.

You should be careful to calculate what you have available in terms of financial resources so that you can switch off properly and really enjoy your time off. After getting your employer to agree, financing is the one issue which will cause your plans to thrive or fail.

You should plan carefully and build up a financial buffer, particularly if you have no option but to take unpaid leave while on sabbatical.

Generally speaking, the amount of money that you will need for your sabbatical depends on the level of comfort that you want. You should consider what kind of living standard you want during your sabbatical. We can then give you a rough estimate of the costs that you should expect depending on the country are going to.

We also have one or two tips about easy ways to put your budget together. Please take a look at our blog and learn more about different ways to save money for your career break.

You should also think about how you can cut your running costs back home. You may want to cancel some subscriptions or register your vehicle as off the road.

While planning your sabbatical, you should consider what will happen with where you live while you’re away. Simply leaving it empty can cause a few problems, including arousing the interest of some unwanted guests.
Running costs will also mount up and have an impact on your financial planning.

You might have pets or well loved houseplants which somebody will need to take care of. You should therefore find somebody you trust to check that everything is okay on a regular basis.

One more tip: Find somebody to sublet your apartment or house to. Then you won’t need to worry about your empty home during a sabbatical, and can improve your budget situation. This may also be an option for you if you are renting.

However, you must tell your landlord that you are planning to sublet. If your landlord does not grant the consent, you may have a legal right to sublet your accommodation in certain circumstances.

You must make sure that you will have adequate insurance while you are overseas!

Health insurance for overseas travel
You must arrange health insurance which you can use while travelling overseas. If you are a member of a statutory health insurance provider, you should arrange additional private insurance to ensure that you have full health coverage while abroad.

You will be covered by statutory health insurance in most European countries. If you are travelling outside of Europe, you will require health insurance which you can use while travelling abroad. This is available for a few euros per year if you are going on a short trip of up to 8 weeks.

If you will be travelling for longer, your contributions will be largely dependent on your age, where you are going and how long you are going for.

Pension and unemployment insurance
You will also have to cover your pension and employment insurance if you are taking unpaid leave during your sabbatical. You should get advice from the relevant authorities as early as possible, as your contributions will be relatively low as somebody taking the insurance voluntarily if you will not be receiving an income during your sabbatical.

Liability insurance
Liability insurance is also important as mishaps can affect anyone, even overseas. Liability insurance will give you protection against the financial consequences of any damage that you cause, and will settle the claim for you.

Most liability insurance policies are valid everywhere. You should renew your private liability insurance policy if necessary. We are happy to help and give your advice about what to look for when choosing your liability insurance policy.

Dealing with the topic of return and re-entry during your preparation phase is more than essential. Although you already have enough to deal with in advance – questions concerning your return are also important.

Ask yourself: Can you, for example, return to your old workplace? Is there anything to consider when it comes to social insurance and your health insurance membership? Is it even possible to sublet your apartment so that you can return directly to your former place of living?

In our blog you will find more information about coming back from your sabbatical and returning to your work place.