I want to request a one year Leave of Absence (like a Gap Year) from my current position instead of resigning?

28 Comments

1. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterMay 22,2023 at 3:01PM UTC

   The problem with LOAs - if you can get one at all for that length of time - is what position you will come back to. Most companies won't guarantee that you will come back to the job you left.

   Is there someone in the company you could have a confidential conversation with about your options - someone who knows the company guidelines in this area?

2. AnonymousMay 22,2023 at 3:46PM UTC

   This would be under a personal leave and may not be able to guarantee your position or job at all if you need a year. I would say to implement some you time better. Single parenting is challenging for sure and I would suggest creating some downtime now. Every single parent's experience is different so you do you.

3. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 12:31PM UTC

   I agree... in my state the job is only held for you for 6 months.

   I might ask for a shorter term leave or find out if you could get a medical leave for 12 - 16 weeks first and see how much could be done then. My state does have paid medical leave based on illness, which includes all forms of physcal and mental healthcare.

4. AnonymousMay 22,2023 at 5:10PM UTC

   Your employee manual should have your options laid out for this as well as a sabbatical.

5. AnonymousMay 22,2023 at 5:28PM UTC

   Without knowing what type of position you are in, or what industry, does your employee handbook provide for something like this? If not, have a discussion with your manager and see what's feasible. For FMLA, you'd need to provide appropriate documentation.

6. KatMay 23,2023 at 4:20PM UTC

   It sounds like you have a lot on your plate and something has to give, which is completely understandable. Could you switch to part time at your current job? Or find a less stressful job within (or outside) of your company? What about using FMLA if it applies to your situation? A leave of absence is a big thing to ask of many companies. It may not be possible depending on the industry/position you're in. Even if they hold a position open for you, it may not be the same one you had before you left. As for references, those should always be people you've worked with that know you well enough to answer some basic questions about you and your work habits/style. It doesn't have to be a past supervisor. Few places ask for them anyway, so that wouldn't be a big deal when looking for jobs in the future. As for resume gaps, that's also not as big a deal as it used to be. You can always blame Covid for the gaps - everyone understands that. There are plenty of articles on how best to address resume gaps, so learn from those what would work best for your situation.

7. AngelaMay 24,2023 at 12:10PM UTC

   I would suggest you contact HR and look into your company's FMLA and Leave of Absence policies to see if they're applicable. You might discover you can take that year off without any apprehension.

8. Maria Scutaro-MullenMay 24,2023 at 12:32PM UTC

   It's hard to answer without knowing what your position is. One thing to think about is what would the company need to do to get your work done while you are out? For those that have mentioned FMLA - it's not automatic - you would need a doctor's support and documentation to say you need the time away and FMLA doesn't last a year.

   I would suggest that you speak to your boss and tell them you need a break but that you don't want to hurt the company and would, if possible like to return at some point, Ask him or her how they would prefer you handle it but make it clear that you need to be out by X date. Good luck.

9. AnonymousMay 26,2023 at 3:50PM UTC

   I took FMLA for similar reasons at a previous job. I split mine into 8 weeks where I didn’t work at all and used the last 4 weeks under intermittent FMLA which let me work part time until that was used up.

10. S. P.May 24,2023 at 12:47PM UTC

    You can take a 12 month LOA if eligible for FMLA leave. You need to contact your company’s HR department to find out how you can go about this.

    Please be aware, though, that this could affect your position. After a certain amount of time, your company can remove you from your position and can place you in another upon return. You’re only granted certain protections, and 12 months does not guarantee your position will be the one that you return with.

11. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 12:50PM UTC

    If you have vacation and/or sick time you could exhaust that at the beginning of your leave. You can also get paid out for your unused vacation time. The tricky part is having a job to come back to. Hopefully your HR department is willing to work with you. But most can’t or won’t hold your job for you - especially not for a year. While I understand your need for self-care, the company also needs to continue business as usual. They’ll need to fill your spot. Most likely they’ll tell you to apply for an open position when you are ready to return to work. You’ll probably have to go through the interview process again. The only other suggestion would be to ask if they have remote work you can do part time to keep you employed with the company. Make sure you figure out your insurance options. Having a child, that’s one detail that’s important to solidify. Good luck.

12. Renee GlennMay 24,2023 at 2:06PM UTC

    Make sure to check your state's policies if you want to get paid out for accrued vacation. Not all state's require companies to pay out accrued vacation time. Ohio is one that does not. I lost 84 hrs of accrued vacation time when I left a job a year ago. My company did not pay me for these hours.

13. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 12:56PM UTC

    My goodness...If you can get that from HR, take it! That way you can both look for another job if you are burnt out and have the security of your current role to fall back on in a year. A win-win. That said, if they do give the year to you it speaks volumes to the culture there in a very positive way and you may want to stay. There are a lot of far less empathetic companies out there.

14. Lisa MarieMay 24,2023 at 1:10PM UTC

    There is not enough information to provide anything but opinions or half-accurate directions.

    1) this sounds like you need a *personal LOA* which will be unpaid. In this situation, there's no difference from resigning- since you won't be getting a pay check... unless you have a year's worth of vacation time saved up.

    2) not knowimg your industry and what your organization's policies are, I don't know which company that would do what your asking for.

    3) Are you a professor at a university? Professors get sabbaticals. No other jobs do - even if they call the LOA "sabbatical."

    3) How will your health insurance be paid during that time off? Which company will pay foe an employee hay is not producing? How will you pay your portion of health insurance?

    4) How did you determined that you needed an entire year off? Will 2 or 3 months be enough for you to sort out your personal challenges?

    Remember... everyone (well most people) would choose "the path of least resistance." The humans at your job are no different - **your personal situation* will be a major problem for your company - and they *don't* have to burden themselves with other people's challenges.

    Don't be surprised if you are terminated after you ask for this time. Especially since you already got time off in the past in similar fashion.

    Good luck working out these life curveballs. Be steong for your child. Be #MotherStrong

15. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 7:43PM UTC

    I took loa for job (boss) related stress when nothing else I tried had worked.

    CA state paid close to my pay, and my employer paid the rest to supplement. For 6 weeks, and I could have extended with another note from my doctor, but I felt so much better that I returned to work (and found a new and better job right after that, knowing the crummy boss wasn't going anywhere).

    The employer cannot fire an employee when they are on medical loa. It all starts with a doctor's note/ prescription and a call to HR to request the paperwork.

16. ANGELA T.May 24,2023 at 1:18PM UTC

    If you resign or take a LOA how will you pay your bills? Like everyone else suggested, maybe going through short term disability for a month or so would be sufficient. If you're truly convinced that you need a whole year off, you should probably prepare to resign and just look for other opportunities while you are off.

17. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 1:25PM UTC

    Resign

18. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 1:55PM UTC

    i would ask your doctor to help you get on STD for 3 months which is usually the max for STD. You will get paid a percentage of your salary during this time and you are still employed during this time. Use those 3 months to address the burnout/anxiety etc… The economy is in the shitter so everyone will have a gap again on their resume due to all the layoffs. The past 3 years have been survival mode for many of us. Take the medical benefit of STD to work on your mental health and physical health. Good luck !

19. Lorrie HoltzMay 24,2023 at 10:54PM UTC

    Not everyone has paid STD benefits with their jobs. It's not a benefit where I am employed unless I opt to purchase a STD policy which is an option but a monthly premium has to be paid. It's not cheap when also having to pay for a percentage of my health, eye and dental insurance. I know I can't afford it.

20. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 3:09PM UTC

    Check on FMLA. It is designed exactly for situations like these. It should cover your job for a certain amount of time, at least - perhaps not a full year. And if it’s used concurrently with STD, and/or vacation time, you can likely be paid for a portion of that time.

    Most importantly, take care of yourself and your family first. Cant stress that enough.

    Research FMLA to get specifics of your rights - don’t trust your HR Dept to know it all. They likely don’t. In my previous job, I worked for a very large corporation and HR knew very little about FMLA. I had to advocate for myself throughout that entire process when I needed a 3 month medical leave.

21. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 3:27PM UTC

    I agree with taking a one year leave of absence. You may want to ask for 3-4 months at first, then extend as needed, be sure to understand how benefits work with your consent and your state. Then you can make the best decision for yourself.

22. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 3:48PM UTC

    As most folks say in this post: research your company's FMLA policy and your state's policy. At my organization, a personal leave of 12 months would not be approved. In my state, DI provides up to 52 weeks of paid benefits when you are unable to work and have a wage loss due to your own non-work-related illness, injury, pregnancy, or childbirth. I don't believe burn out falls within this category. Not sure what industry, state, etc, you are in but you definitely want to review your company's FMLA policy and your state's policy to see what your rights are. Maybe talk to your employer about going to part-time while you recover - I know someone in the first-responder field who was completely burnt out during the pandemic and asked to go to part-time: it was approved. So it very much depends on your field and your company and your state. But do your research first and always take care of your self and family first.

23. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 4:25PM UTC

    I definitely agree with taking a look at your company's and state's FMLA policy.

    You'll also want to talk to your doctor, because if it's for non-work related illness or injury (or the other situations typically covered), you will usually need a doctor to sign off that you would qualify.

    While burnout itself probably isn't covered, any mental or physical issues that can be caused by burnout might, if they are considered severe enough.

24. AnonymousMay 24,2023 at 5:29PM UTC

    Thanks for everyone's valuable input. Definitely wishful thinking about the 1 year gap. I'm going to try maxing out vacation first, and then look at part-time options if that doesn't help. I have savings from selling my house as a back-up. Though I was trying not to touch that money, I'm starting to see wealth means nothing without good health. ??

25. Neha ThakkarMay 24,2023 at 6:06PM UTC

    it's better to resign without any burden

26. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 1:16AM UTC

    Go see a psychiatrist and start therapy if you haven't already. Then your psychiatrist can Take you off work until you are able to handle it again. Take it one week or month at a time to recover and build new coping strategies that work for you. Meds help for depression and anxiety that could be contributing to your stressed out and burned out feelings. I've been there and got disability for a time when death of a parent and other life stressors piled up.

27. Kelley LambMay 25,2023 at 1:26AM UTC

    Mental health illnesses are legitimate and you can go off on medical LOA and collect state disability if you have that benefit where you are. Or get dr to take you off work and use FMLA to protect your job for 12 weeks. A whole year is not going to be protected and not reasonable to expect unless injured on the job. Try aa month and then see Dr again and get another month if needed. Therapy for your burn out is important so you can grow from this time and not sink deeper into the burn out.

28. AnonymousMay 25,2023 at 11:04PM UTC

    In addition, ADA Americans with Disabilities Act should prevent your job from firing you until about 1 year if you do not return. The accommodation would be extended leave. Your company would not be required to place you in the same job/role or even pay you the same money, however if they are a larger organization, and there is no way your leave is hurting the business, it should be no issue. Each company is different in the laws they uphold.