One in four plan work break

Independent Television News reports today that

“One in four people are planning to take a break from work in the next year, often to do charity work or achieve a lifetime goal”

A poll of 1,200 adults by Norwich Union suggests that almost one in five of those aiming to have a career break will not return to their job, creating a huge replacement bill for UK businesses. The trend looks set to send stress levels soaring in workplaces across the UK, with seven in ten of those polled admitting that simply covering colleagues' two-week holidays will leave them struggling to cope this summer, said the report.
Travel or spending more time with family remain popular reasons for career breaks, but over three quarters said more colleagues were taking time out to do charity or volunteer work.

Judith Brodie, director of international development charity VSO UK, said: 'At VSO we've seen a real change in attitude to sabbaticals over the years, and this is not something that's going to go away.

'As we move further away from the traditional idea of the linear career path there seems to be a growing acceptance that allowing your staff time to develop their skills and widen their experiences outside of the workplace is good for business.'