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In episode 121 of “The JoyPowered® Workspace Podcast,” JoDee and Susan discuss sabbaticals with university professor Dr. Carlotta Berry and retired CPA firm partner Joe Meyer.

Sabbaticals are becoming a more and more popular benefit option outside of just its traditional usage in academia. A sabbatical is a period of paid or unpaid leave that is granted to an employee so that they may study, travel, relax, or engage in other types of personal or professional pursuits.

Dr. Carlotta Berry joins the show to share her experience with sabbaticals in a university setting. At the time of this episode’s recording, Professor Berry was on her second sabbatical, which she has used for several purposes. She has worked for an automation engineering company to get updated skill sets to bring back to her students, started two organizations (Black in Engineering and Black in Robotics), and is writing a book. It can be stressful trying to find funding sources when you’re not going to be paid your full salary while you’re on sabbatical, but those resources are out there. Other than that, Professor Berry encourages sabbaticals for everyone, because in addition to allowing you to be rejuvenated and refreshed, they also give you a chance to do exciting things that you wouldn’t be able to do until retirement otherwise.

Joe Meyer calls in to discuss the sabbatical program he participated in as a partner in a CPA firm. He stresses the importance of planning far in advance to make sure everyone’s not leaving at once and to prepare to leave without any connectivity. Sabbaticals aren’t just a great partner perk; they’re also beneficial in lots of other ways. They force you to institutionalize client relationships, give others the opportunity to take the lead, and remind you that the world doesn’t stop turning if you’re not at work for a while. According to Joe, sabbaticals are worth exploration for any type of organization, whether or not you come to the conclusion that you can (or want to) offer them.

In this episode’s listener mail, a listener asks about the best way to know when a new episode is available. In the news, JoDee and Susan discuss a SHRM article about another impact of the pandemic – an increase in litigation.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Purple Ink
• Susan Tinder White Consulting
• Black in Engineering
• Black in Robotics
• The JoyPowered® Organization
• The JoyPowered® Leadership program
• “Avoid Pandemic-Related Litigation Risks”

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