According to its 2025 Salary Guide, almost half (42%) of the UK workforce want to be given access to sabbaticals this year, with the data suggesting that this demand for unpaid time off is being influenced by concerns around burnout. Almost two thirds (62%) of workers indicated that employers are at risk of over-working staff this year.
Providing sabbaticals as a benefit may be an opportunity for some employers as they try to build a more competitive employee engagement programmes. When money is tight for additional benefits or salary hikes, a sabbatical programme could be a low-lift benefit for some employers. It can help reduce burnout and increase retention, especially among high-performing staff who might otherwise consider leaving. From a financial perspective, offering unpaid or partially paid sabbaticals can be a cost-effective way to show commitment to employee wellbeing without adding permanent overheads.
As Matt Weston, Senior Managing Director UK & Ireland, at Robert Half explained, this trend is one that employers should monitor carefully and act on swiftly to ensure their talent attraction and retention strategies are robust and relevant to today’s workers:
“Given the increased focus on mental health and wellbeing that has been growing across the UK workforce for the last few years, it’s perhaps unsurprising that so many want access to time away from the office to rebalance or to pursue a dearly held goal. However, underlying reasons for this trend perhaps paints a concerning picture that businesses need to be aware of. The fact that so many workers tell us that they are concerned that they will be overworked in the year ahead suggests a level of uneasiness in the workforce that could have a lasting impact.
“Aside from the temporary issue of backfilling people who are on extended leave, failing to address the reasons why so many workers are longing to take extra time out of the business could create a talent headache longer term. If employees are overworked – or believe they are at risk of this – they won’t hang around for long. The damage this can have on employer branding is detrimental. It is important that firms monitor any increase in trends such as this to ascertain what the root cause of it is and act accordingly, otherwise they could face an exodus of talent.
“If we look at how people are using sabbaticals, there is growing evidence that many people are simply in need of a moment to themselves in their busy lives.
“There’s a wealth of data that showcases the potential burnout crisis people are facing, with Mental Health UK reporting that 90% of workers across the country felt stressed last year. Even those employers that are already offering extra time off – paid or not – should be mindful of trends such as this to ensure they are offering a truly holistic benefits packages that meets the needs of workers today.”