Career sabbaticals — typically 3-12 months unpaid leave for specific purpose (travel, study, family, recovery) — are increasing among UK women in their 40s and 50s. Companies increasingly offer formal sabbatical programs; women increasingly take them.
What sabbaticals enable
Recovery from sustained career intensity. Pursuing specific goals (writing, travel, parent care). Reconsidering career direction. Time for family that work doesn't permit.
Where they're available
Many large companies offer formal programs (typically after 5-10 years tenure). Smaller employers sometimes negotiate informal extended leave. Self-employed and freelance can structure them more freely.
Most women who take sabbaticals report they would do it again. The career impact is usually less negative than feared — most return to equivalent or better roles.