The new year has began and with it, is the return of Charli Mills’ Carrot Ranch prompts. Here is how she introduced the prompt:
January 2, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a sabbatical. Who needs one or has had one? What kind of tension could a rest create? Where can a break take your story? Go where the prompt leads!
This pedometer geek writer wrote the following:
Sabbatical? Could They Help?
In academia, professors are allowed to take a sabbatical, time off to study, do research, write, rather than teach. While at college, many different professors took sabbaticals during my schooling.
Using my profession as one example, I know that pharmacists never have the opportunity to take sabbaticals. Yet all are required to update our medication knowledge through continuing education, which is completed on personal time, not pharmacy hours. Pharmacists’ vacation time is limited with those hours picked up by other pharmacists.
Maybe, if all high pressure professionals could take a sabbatical from their profession, there might be less burnout.
~Nancy Brady, 2023
To read all the stories about real sabbaticals, check out http://www.carrotranch.com Obviously, this writer has never had a sabbatical so hopefully, I’ll learn about them, In the meantime, I’ll be submitting some continuing education for credit.
nbsmithblog...random digressions and musings 
I’m surprised that pharmacists aren’t given a paid work day every now and then dedicated to the continuing education they’re expected to do. Teachers get a day occasionally – that’s what PD days are for.
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Unfortunately not, Nicole. Every so often a company might provide a continuing education program, but it is usually done during down time. I do have to say, though, that one company, which I worked for many years, sent me (and others) for training as a diabetes educator. It was one of the most satisfying educational experiences I have ever had, and then the counseling opportunities to work one on one with diabetes patients was profoundly satisfying as well. I guess that intensive education was as close to a sabbatical as I ever experienced.
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Hey. Not a bad thought. If more people in Washington took sabbaticals maybe there wouldn’t be all this nonsense going on. (Only my opinion)
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Agree with you, JC. Many of them should take a sabbatical. It’s crazy (or maybe they are all crazy).
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I completely agree, not only academia deserves a sabbatical, but everyone should have this right.
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Thanks, Elizabeth, for your comment. Everybody needs to be able re-charge their mental batteries. Will it ever happen? We can only hope.
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I don’t think that’s at all fiction, Nan. Such an important message. If only those in charge would take note.
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Thanks, Norah. It isn’t fiction at all. I know too many pharmacists (and other health care providers) who have been burned out over high pressure jobs. Now, with Covid, it has become worse.
If only…is right! Thanks Norah for reading.
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Burn out is a very real thing. Retail, teaching, many professions do not have any regular time off for learning. And if you only have a part-time job… forget accruing any real vacation time. Though I know a woman who works in a grocery store who has worked their her whole life and only switched departments about 15/20 years ago and because of being full time and ‘Grandfathered’ as it were in the older system has over 5 weeks of vacation. And because she is older and single has a difficult time using it throughout the year. Once ‘they’ tried to ask for a buy out… but that is really only something that happens to really good management. Not ‘pions’. …They are still there!
I’ve a relative who has a masters in education, but can’t get a job for that credit of education and finally gave up. Now they are much happier with two part-time jobs and just a tad bit of freedom to work from home on some days.
The US isn’t like Euroupe that starts everyone out at three weeks of vacation. Or that’s what is seems like anyway. I had a pen pal once who every other letter was that they were going on ‘Holiday’…
Even being retired my last holiday away from home was the mini-cruise I took overlapping the New Year of ’21-’22. I don’t consider visiting family even for short times a real vacation. We’ll be doing that when the weather gets just a tad warmer to help out a relative with some household things.
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Jules,
You hit the nail on the head. By the time, I was up to four weeks of vacation, it didn’t matter. I could never take more than a week at a time although once I might have gotten to take two weeks.
Still, the week or two before I left I made sure everything was caught up that would have to be done during my time away, and then it took two weeks to clean up and get everything back in order from the relief people who either couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything other than the minimum required.
On the other hand, when I filled in for someone else, I made sure that I didn’t cause undue stress (or I certainly tried to).
I agree with you; I think European countries have a healthier attitude about time off/vacations. They like their employees to be well rested. I bet many employees are happier at work, too.
I hope you get some true vacation time, Jules, and even visiting family, find a little time to yourself.
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I know some states tried (and hubby’s company did too) the relaxed vacation theme. Take what you want when you want… But every one feared that if they took too much they would be fired. So at least in Hubby’s work place they changed back to the old system where the earned vacation was in favor of those who actually earned it. There must be a balance somewhere. But now so many business can’t even get part-time folks.
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I have nothing new to add. You are right, it definitely makes sense for professionals such as pharmacists to have opportunities as can be provided through sabbatical. There’s too much burnout and turnover these days, in too many professions.
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I do believe that the pandemic has only added to it, D.
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Jules, I could see that happening, but the ones who might take vacations might be the ones who haven’t worked much (haven’t really earned it). I have had students and interns who return from college and have to have a vacation before starting to work in the summer because they were at school. I don’t know about you, but I worked all the hours I could in the summer so that I had money during the school year (and I needed so many hours to be able to take my state boards after graduating). I never had a vacation until long after I became a pharmacist (like two years).
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