Taking a leave of absence for 1yr w/o pay

doggie750

Been w/ my current job for almost 8yrs, now I just landed a new job so was advice by a close friend to take advantage of the benefit with my present employer while starting on the new job. If hell break loose, I can still make a u-turn. Ur 2cents?

VR3

I do not understand what you are asking?

DMara

He thinks about taking a 1-year leave of absence without pay from his current job to start a new one. I would do it if possible.

VR3

Well if you can afford it why not? Lifes short.. if I could afford a 365 day vacation you best believe I would take it

bencorn

I don't think I could do it. I'd be too worried about not having a job to come back to.

Toolfan66

He's not taking a 365 day vacation, he will be working at his new job but taking a leave with his current employer, and if something fails at his new job he can take a u-turn back to his current job..

That's how I interpret it anyways..

cfrizz

His current job is going to ask why he wants a year off, Now if he tells them that he wants to try out a new job for a year, how do you think his employer is going to react? There is also the possibility that his old job won't be there in a year, they don't have to hold it for him. Either take the new job or stay at the old one.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I actually agree with Cathy on this one, and for a couple of reasons.

mhardy6647

In my line of work, at least, any sort of leave of absence doesn't guarantee a position upon return; something to consider if a the perception of having a safety net is part of the OP's strategy.

mudwrx

If I asked to take one full year off I would get laughed at. Really, who lets their employees take a full year off for any reason except where they are legally obligated to (military, sickness, etc.)?

Plus, in my job anyway, one year away is a game changer. Too much changes too fast, you could not stay away for one year and expect to come back like it was just a weekend.

A lot of people think the grass is greener on the other side just to be disappointed when they get there. I'd be cautious.

Anyway, if you can do it, enjoy. I'd be surprised if your employer agrees, and doubly surprised if they agreed and then actually took you back after a year. Good luck.

sucks2beme

My current employer would immediately put you on the layoff list as soon as the request was made.
Welcome to the new reality. Many employers have been laying off active U.S. military as well, regardless
of the law.

agfrost

Sounds rather like the "sabbatical" year that some educators can have. We've had some people use one to stay home with young children, to get extra schooling, one guy went over to teach in China for a year, and it's fairly commonplace to apply for one for people that move/change jobs as a "safety net" if the new job doesn't work out (not sure how I feel about this usage).

If it's accepted that employees can do this and you're protected against job loss/employer retribution, go for it if it feels right. If you get a sense you oughtn't, I'd trust that feeling. If you really want the 2nd job instead of the first, well then that's a different deal entirely--Do what you've got to do.

BlueFox

Check the terms and conditions for the leave of absence. I suspect there are conditions in it that prevent other employment.

gdb

If yer gonna' make the jump anyway............I say sign up for the leave. Tis better to have the possibility of a parachute than to have none at all. It will probably will take far less than a full year at the new gig to see which way the wind blows. Good luck.:biggrin:

nguyendot

The possibility of a parachute and not having one are one and the same in this case. If you don't know, why take the risk?

gdb

nguyendot wrote: »

The possibility of a parachute and not having one are one and the same in this case. If you don't know, why take the risk?

Did'ya read this part ?

"If yer gonna' make the jump anyway"

nguyendot

Yeah but putting in for the leave gives a false sense of security...otherwise why bother?

madmax

If you are going to jump, jump with both feet and MAKE it work!

gdb

nguyendot wrote: »

Yeah but putting in for the leave gives a false sense of security...otherwise why bother?

Why bother leaving the house in the morning? You might be run over by a truck too. The leave dispensation may, or, may not be there if he tries to utilize it. It sure as Hell won't be there if he never applies for it due to a fatalistic view of things.

cfrizz

It's not fatalistic, it's common sense, and common curtesy. If he has a good stable job (which are damn near impossible to come by) he should just deal with it and make the best of it. Because more often then not the grass will stink just as bad over on the other side of the fence.

If he tells them a lie about why he want's a year off and they find out, they'll fire him anyway, and if he tells them the truth, they will find a way to get rid of him anyway.

Another thing to remember is do you really want to start all over again with having to build up vacation time? what about sick leave etc. I would kill to have 5 weeks of vacation again rather than just two for the next few years.

Dennis Gardner

If this is normal thing for your current employment to handle, and is done regularly, go ahead. If they are accustomed to handling the benefit/pay/tenure/promotions/etc. issues that will happen while you are gone, it sounds good. If you are the first to cross this bridge, you are likely to find this bridge burned if you decide to return. Only the most enlightened workforces can handle such a sabbatical leave without those that stay feeling they got burned by your leave.

Think about how a wife would feel about you taking a leave from the marriage for a year. Many really dedicated employees are "married' to their jobs and would see the leave as a betrayal of the company.

gdb

If everyone is convinced that the sky is falling...........it must be falling.

doggie750

Like to extend my salute to u all, with that said I've decided to exit honorably and face the horizon ahead of me w/o fear. I believe I will excel with this change and leverage myself careerwise but realistically stability is always a concern for new hires. Ur on the bottom of the food chain. As a father, u will sacrifice ur goal/ likes for the sake of ur children. I stuck myself underground unhappy with this job for 7yrs coz I know it's stable but it's killing me mentally. Deep within, I know I can do better so I gotta take the risk and have the faith from up above. There's no guarantee in life, so no need to worry much about the future coz it's in his hands. "Give us this day our daily bread", not tomorrow. Godspeed.

falconcry72

My current employer would let me take a year's unpaid leave, knowing full well that I'd be trying another career, because I have great relationships with my bosses, and they care about my betterment. It goes without saying that at the end of the year the job may not still be there, but I'm really failing to see the harm in trying it...

cnh

As mentioned above, many educators, myself included, have done something like this. In an academic setting where you have tenure there is NO risk in taking an unpaid leave to do more research if one gets a grant or to try out another institution and return to the old one if you don't like it. But, here, your job is guaranteed to be there on the return. I, myself, took a leave to teach in China the year my wife received grant money to conduct research in Beijing. That was a voluntary unpaid sabbatical because it was a few years before the next one and we wanted our daughter to learn some Chinese--she attended the Qinghua U. International School during that time and that's where most of my salary went! lol

But this sounds a bit riskier to me unless you can get it in writing that you can return and have it as a legally binding contract? Because it sounds like the above parameters do not apply to you.

So proceed with "caution"!

cnh

mrbigbluelight

doggie750 wrote: »

Like to extend my salute to u all, with that said I've decided to exit honorably and face the horizon ahead of me w/o fear.

Then you did the right thing in the long run, IMO.
You're going out the right way and, if things don't work out at the new job, perhaps your old employer would accept you back in the right way, too.
If they don't, you still did the right thing. Good luck !