3 days ago
How To Use A Career Pause As A Strategic Advantage
Want Smarter, Healthier, More Productive Teams? Normalize the Career Pause
The words 'career pause' still make some managers flinch. Even in 2025 - especially in a time of constant change, economic pressure, and organizational whiplash.
Amid record-high burnout, a workforce hungry for purpose, and a cultural shift toward well-being, many professionals still whisper about their sabbatical or career gap - afraid it'll be read as a red flag, not a reset. And companies? Too often, they treat time off as a threat to productivity rather than a path to long-term value. 'How will I get work done when people are off on sabbaticals?' is a question I hear far too often.
But in today's uncertain market - where burnout, disengagement, and quiet quitting collide with the need for innovation and agility - forward-thinking professionals are starting to understand: rest isn't the enemy of results. It's a catalyst for them.
Science backs this up. Neuroscience research shows that cognitive recovery requires more than a weekend, especially from prolonged stress. Extended time off helps regulate the nervous system, restore executive functioning, and reconnect us to creative thinking. As Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest, says, most professionals don't need more sleep. They need time to replenish mental, emotional, and creative energy. Career breaks can do just that.
That's the part we don't talk about enough: how transformative time away can be - not just for individuals, but for the organizations they return to. Because when done with intention, career pauses - whether a formal sabbatical, a caregiving leave, or a moment to reassess - are less about stepping back and more about strategic tools for reflection, reinvention, and long-term impact.
According to LinkedIn's 2022 Workforce Confidence Index, over half of Millennial and Gen Z professionals are considering a career break not just because they're burned out, but because they want to realign with purpose. Meanwhile, Harvard Business Review reports that structured time away from work improves decision-making, sharpens innovation, and boosts career satisfaction. Still, many corporate cultures reward hustle over reflection. And worse, fail to acknowledge and support the caregiving needs of workers stuck in the sandwich generation, caring for aging parents and children, while trying to lead teams in a world that demands resilience, creativity, and complex problem-solving.
Whether you're a professional planning a break or a company leader shaping your culture, here's how to make career pauses a strategic advantage:
Don't call it a detour. Call it what it is: a recalibration. Whether you paused to care for a loved one, wrote a book, or simply breathed, the value is in what you learned - and how you're applying it now.
Try this:
"I took time to realign my priorities, care for a family member, or invest in reflection. That space sharpened my leadership, helped me reset my energy, and made me more intentional about how I want to lead and live.'
Before stepping away, consider these questions:
McGhee suggests crafting a purpose statement. Clarifying why you're stepping away allows you to design a break that 'will fulfill your purpose and feel like a success.'
Remember, your pause doesn't have to be an extended retreat. Even a 30-day period of focused rest, curiosity, or creativity can be transformative. The key lies in the intention behind it.
It's also crucial to acknowledge that not everyone has the privilege to take a pause, especially without formal policies or financial support. Organizations should design sabbatical programs that consider financial accessibility, ensuring that rest and rejuvenation are attainable for all, not just a privileged few.
3. Build Your Career Pause Re-entry Plan Before You Return
Re-entry isn't just a calendar date - it's a mindset shift. Reflect on what changed, what you learned, and what you need moving forward. Even something as simple and profound as finding peace while caring for a loved one can shape how you show up next.
Ask:
McGhee recommends planning a dedicated re-entry period - at least a month - to avoid reactive job moves or diving back into burnout.
Organizations aiming for smarter, healthier, and more productive teams must move beyond viewing career breaks as rare perks. Instead, they should be integral to talent strategy.
When leaders themselves take and support career breaks or sabbaticals, it sends a powerful message throughout the organization: taking time to recharge is not only accepted but encouraged. Employees returning from intentional career breaks often exhibit enhanced clarity, leadership, and sustainable performance.
Companies like Intel, Citigroup, and Patagonia have long treated sabbaticals not as perks but as strategic tools for talent development. This has driven higher engagement, retention, and innovation from employees who return re-energized and ready to lead.
However, as of 2019 only 5% of U.S. employers offered paid sabbaticals, according to SHRM. But momentum is building: in 2023, Bank of America introduced an extended paid leave program for employees with 15+ years of service - more than 20,000 opted in.
Career pauses aren't detours. They're accelerators. Making space to reflect isn't indulgent in a world that prizes reinvention, resilience, and agility - especially in times of uncertainty - it's strategic.
So whether you're considering a career pause, just returning from one, or leading someone who is: retire the stigma. Time away from work is still work - the kind that builds clarity, courage, and capacity for what's next. The future of leadership isn't built on burnout. It's built on people with the clarity to know when to step back.
