Ultimate Glossary for Sabbaticals, Career Breaks, Leaves of Absence, and More

• Career Break: A period of time when an individual takes time off from their career, often for personal or professional development reasons.
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• Sabbatical: A prolonged period of leave granted to an employee for study, travel, or personal reasons, typically every seven years in academia but increasingly seen in other sectors.
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• Leave of Absence (LOA): A temporary period during which an employee is excused from work duties, typically for personal reasons, such as health issues, family matters, or education.
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• Unpaid Leave: A period of time off from work for which an employee does not receive salary or wages.
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• Paid Leave: A period of time off from work for which an employee continues to receive salary or wages, often provided by employers as part of benefits packages.
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• Maternity Leave: A period of absence from work granted to a mother before and after the birth of her child.
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• Paternity Leave: A period of absence from work granted to a father around the birth or adoption of his child.
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• Parental Leave: A type of leave that allows both parents to take time off from work to care for a newborn or newly adopted child.
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• Family Leave: Leave provided to employees to attend to family-related matters, including caring for sick family members or dealing with family emergencies.
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• Educational Leave: A period of time off from work granted to employees to pursue further education or training.
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• Sabbatical Leave: A period of paid or unpaid leave granted to an employee, typically after a specified period of service, for the purpose of research, travel, or personal development.
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• Career Break Policy: An organization's formalized policy outlining the procedures and guidelines for employees wishing to take a career break.
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• Flexitime: A work schedule that allows employees to vary their arrival and departure times, often to accommodate personal needs or commitments.
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• Remote Work: Work performed away from the traditional office setting, often facilitated by technology, allowing employees to work from home or other locations.
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• Returnship: A program designed to help individuals re-enter the workforce after an extended career break, providing training, mentorship, and transitional support.
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• Re-entry Program: Similar to a returnship, a re-entry program assists individuals in rejoining the workforce after a period of absence, offering resources and support for career reintegration.
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• Extended Leave: A longer-than-usual period of absence from work, often taken for reasons such as travel, personal projects, or career reassessment.
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• Phased Return: A gradual return to work following a period of absence, allowing employees to ease back into their roles and responsibilities.
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• Career Gap: A period of time during which an individual is not actively employed or engaged in work-related activities, often due to personal reasons or life events.
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• Career Pivot: A deliberate shift in one's career path, often involving a change in industry, role, or focus, which may occur during or after a career break.

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