Sabbaticals

RE: Sabbaticals

Sarah Keir — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 18:38:43 GMT

Parental leave may be not at work but is not a break from work! Not something I would ever consider as then I would be stuck never being ever to travel how I like to.

RE: Sabbaticals

Beats — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 17:40:03 GMT

[quote user="Sarah Keir"]Beats - where do you work that has such a generous sabbatical allowance?[/quote]

UK has generous "sabattical" allowance for employees, it's called "parental leave" and there's an obvious catch

I suspect most employers are rather unfamiliar with dealing with requests though, so might require some explaining...

RE: Sabbaticals

HMC — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 14:07:13 GMT

Locuming has definitely helped me in this regard: approximately a month ago husband asks if I want to go to New Zealand in October (with him obviously) for 3 weeks due to a request from his work for him to go out there... it was booked within a week of the idea first being broached!

And no need for me to request annual leave- marvellous.

RE: Sabbaticals

Sarah Keir — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 12:48:07 GMT

Beats - where do you work that has such a generous sabbatical allowance?

For me, the extended period of time in a block that a sabbatical or extended holiday gives is vital. Last year I went on a three month trip that included a month on a yacht to and from Antarctica. I booked it not knowing if the practice would grant me the leave (though there was precedence - the head vet took similar period off after working 10 years at the practice) and spent all my savings but it was so worth it. Now looking at locuming to allow me the freedom to do the same in the next few years - I am not going to wait to 'retirement' when body may not be able and who knows what our future may hold. Though I have to say, the golden age for travel was about 12-15 years ago - pound was strong, there weren't so many tourists in most places (huge increase in travelling middle-classes in all areas of the globe) and a little bit of internet access for information and ease without the constant online barrage there is now.

RE: Sabbaticals

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 09:47:29 GMT

It's really hard isn't it?

I've certainly done the same...I worked for 20 years with a max of 2 weeks off at any time. My maternity leaves were 8 months and 5 months, but certainly weren't holidays!!!

I wish I could come up with a solution for you, I really do. And I'm certainly not suggesting you would be happy to dump on your colleagues.

All I know is that when you're on the treadmill it is difficult to see your own position. It is very easy to keep putting off stuff, but before you know it time has run out. We all think we have lots of time, but that isn't always the case.

The eternal work-life balance!

RE: Sabbaticals

Wren — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 08:59:01 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]Sounds good. But when you have a family to feed, clothe and house it ain't that simple.[/quote]

Absolutely. Very good reasons to work very hard. But those weren't the reasons given by Wren for not taking time off.

[/quote]

No, they weren't the reasons I gave, but they're still there all the same! However if there were a way to have a 4-6 week 'sabbatical' (probably not exactly what the term describes) then I could probably save enough to cover it. Especially if a week or two of that were annual leave. I did have 5 weeks off a year or so ago for an operation and it was a major logistical nightmare. Yes, ways and means will be found if you're ill or injured, but it relies on a lot of things, including the goodwill of your colleagues, and I don't think that it's fair to exploit that for what is basically an extended holiday. I think equine practice is a lot more tricky to cover than small animal. Locums are few and far between (we couldn't find one at all when I had my op, even with plenty of notice), and although the day work can be tailored to cover the missing vet, the out of hours (ours is between 1:2 and 1:3) requires colleagues to fill the gaps when people are of, and that is not something that you can ask anyone to do for 4-6 weeks.

I appreciate the importance of a break, I really do (I'm one who heads for the hills with my rucksack, tent and dog on a regular basis), but as things stand I think that 10-14 days is the longest that's really sustainable or fair - the stress on the people left behind needs to be considered too.

Things may change in the future - for example equine locums may become much more of a 'thing'. Who knows?

RE: Sabbaticals

Beats — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 22:23:36 GMT

As a lowly employee, I believe i'm entitled to a month's unpaid "sabattical" every year for the next 14 years or so (shh... don't tell my employer!)

"Parental leave" is one of the reasons I wouldn't flap about holiday entitlement in a job.

Oddly though my wife has never seemed too enthused at the prospect of me at home for a month...

https://www.gov.uk/parental-leave

RE: Sabbaticals

Gillian Mostyn — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 18:56:57 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]Sounds good. But when you have a family to feed, clothe and house it ain't that simple.[/quote]

Absolutely. Very good reasons to work very hard. But those weren't the reasons given by Wren for not taking time off.

RE: Sabbaticals

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 13:32:37 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]Take the time, do the fun stuff, live your life. You only get one.[/quote]

Sounds good. But when you have a family to feed, clothe and house it ain't that simple.

RE: Sabbaticals

Anthony Todd — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 10:56:46 GMT

[quote user="Nicola M"]Then one of the partners decided that they were going to go away during the second week of my leave with the phrase ‘well you’ve not booked the honeymoon yet, just go at a different time of year...’ [/quote]

Yes, same happened where I worked in the 70s, Great move for employee loyalty......

Is it possible to charge the locum fees against your income for your tax return??

Sorry "income" and tax return makes it more yours and avoids pedantic wage clerks.....

RE: Sabbaticals

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 15:28:01 GMT

[quote user="Wren"]There are quite a few things I am desperate to do whilst I still have the legs [/quote]

[quote user="Wren"]Realistically I will have to wait until I'm retired, when likely I will not be physically able.[/quote]

Not everyone lives long enough to retire, let alone maintain a good state of health.

[quote user="Wren"]Logistically though, I just can't see how to make it work in a 2 man ambulatory equine practice.[/quote]

As has been said, if you became ill or fell under a bus, a way would be found.

Life is short and health precarious. And I'm afraid nobody is indispensable at work.

Take the time, do the fun stuff, live your life. You only get one.

RE: Sabbaticals

Clive Ansell — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 15:18:30 GMT

[quote user="Nicola M"]

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]

When I was employed, getting longer than 2 weeks off at once was almost impossible.

[/quote]

Years ago I requested, as a one off, 3 weeks off in a row. I gave about a years notice on it and the leave was granted. Wedding booked, everything organised except thankfully hadn’t booked honeymoon yet. Then one of the partners decided that they were going to go away during the second week of my leave with the phrase ‘well you’ve not booked the honeymoon yet, just go at a different time of year...’

[/quote]

I once wanted about 5 weeks, all of my annual holiday allowance, in one block for a high altitude mountaineering expedition. This was refused point blank because "we only ever allow 2 weeks at once". They would not listen or negotiate. In the end I booked the trip and flights anyway, went back to them and told them that we could either work around it, or I would hand in my notice.

I did the trip, they got a locum for the whole duration, all panned out just fine. In fact it worked out better in the end, because my trip was during school times, meaning the other 2 vets were able to take their holidays when their children were on the long summer break, and the practice found a single locum to cover 3 months for us all.

There needs to be more flexibility in the work place for sure.

RE: Sabbaticals

Anthony Dennison — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 13:56:35 GMT

What an arse.

RE: Sabbaticals

Nicola Cole — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 13:51:46 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]

When I was employed, getting longer than 2 weeks off at once was almost impossible.

[/quote]

RE: Sabbaticals

Iain Richards — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 13:13:35 GMT

Ah!. Go on Wren sweet talk them!

RE: Sabbaticals

Anthony Dennison — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 11:55:12 GMT

[quote user="Iain Richards"]

[quote user="Wren"] I just can't see how to make it work in a 2 man ambulatory equine practice[/quote]

Plan ahead, get the long term locum sorted.

Or sell to a corporate with a precondition that you get a sabbatical every 2 years...

[/quote]

IIRC, Wren is already working for an IVC practice. If that is the case, may be worth speaking to your region manager, or someone on the clinical panel. They may see it as a way of increasing chances of long term commitment?

RE: Sabbaticals

Iain Richards — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 11:46:17 GMT

[quote user="Wren"] I just can't see how to make it work in a 2 man ambulatory equine practice[/quote]

Plan ahead, get the long term locum sorted.

Or sell to a corporate with a precondition that you get a sabbatical every 2 years...

RE: Sabbaticals

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 10:00:41 GMT

It’s a risk financially but if you are looking to do less as you get older and eventually sell then might long term planning give you this chance sooner rather than later? If you and your partner both considered this and recruited a younger vet or a really good locum could it not work for you ?

I have really enjoyed being a vet but it is only now that I am retired that I realise what else life has to offer, and I realise some of the things I sacrificed. If you were seriously sick or injured and out of action a way would have to be found.

RE: Sabbaticals

Wren — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 08:42:10 GMT

I would love this. There are quite a few things I am desperate to do whilst I still have the legs - like walking the GR20 - that I would need to take 3-4 weeks off for, which is just not feasible. Realistically I will have to wait until I'm retired, when likely I will not be physically able. If I could even have a 2 month break every few years I could do some of the amazing things I've been longing to do. Logistically though, I just can't see how to make it work in a 2 man ambulatory equine practice.

RE: Sabbaticals

niall morton — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 23:00:21 GMT

Big problem is getting a good locum to cover the time the business needs. Good locums book up quick

RE: Sabbaticals

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 21:46:42 GMT

My partner and I agreed a five month sabbatical every five years . He went to India, Australia and Europe . I had two five month maternity leaves and one sabbatical at home being mum for a change. It worked very well keeping us enthused about our practice.

RE: Sabbaticals

Clive Ansell — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 18:07:05 GMT

Great idea, and cannot understand why it is not the accepted norm in what is known to be a stressful profession with high levels of stress related illnesses.

In these times of difficulty recruiting and retaining staff, I would have though the offer and option of unpaid sabbaticals would be a very strong selling point. I get that it would be difficult to accommodate in a smaller practice, but surely possible if the will is there to do it.

One of the reasons I have remained a locum so long, is the inability to take decent chunks of time off to pursue my interest in mountaineering while in an employed position. When I was employed, getting longer than 2 weeks off at once was almost impossible.

[quote user="GrooveJet"]Problem is I'm just a plain ol' employee. I can't imagine my employer agreeing to fork out for a locum so I can go "swanning off"...[/quote]

If we are talking about unpaid sabbaticals, then the locum would be paid instead of you. Ok, it might be more and there would be some inconvenience from a managemental viewpoint, but I would have though well worth it to accommodate a valued colleague. It would be far better and cheaper in the long run than losing a colleague through overwork stress and burnout I would have though.

RE: Sabbaticals

Miriam Lodewyks — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 16:18:58 GMT

I'd LOVE to do this! I'm passionate about wildlife conservation in Africa and the thought of spending 6-8 weeks volunteering at a baby rhino orphanage or wildlife sanctuary would be heaven on earth for me.

Problem is I'm just a plain ol' employee. I can't imagine my employer agreeing to fork out for a locum so I can go "swanning off"...

RE: Sabbaticals

Julie Innes — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 15:08:48 GMT

Love the idea, need to wait until the kids leave home first, though!

RE: Sabbaticals

gdbvet — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 07:31:35 GMT

Great idea.Been trying to get an experienced vet to work 6mths /6 mths off with me ,but alas no takers.Pro rata income $200k aus.More to life than unremitting toil.