During the work day, how often do we nag ourselves,

Stop drifting!  Focus!  Finish!”

Plenty, probably, since distractions never cease—whether from digitalia, peers, phones, or cravings.  Well, relax.  A recent academic paper states that little breaks actually help—not hinder—productivity.

• Attention ain’t endless

A University of Illinois professor’s studies found that, among other things, students’ attention fades at 20 minutes.  But what about students who received diversions?  Their focus lasted longer.  As Professor Alejandro Lleras, who conducted the research, puts it,

It’s important to create an environment where it’s OK to take small breaks.”

This might be good news—since this teacher finds that students are more distracted than ever.  As one fellow instructor recently told me, “ALL kids have A.D.D. these days.”  Seems like it sometimes.  Yet maybe with frequent pauses, we can all get more done than when we duct-tape ourselves to our desk.

• Get off your butt?

Instead of cruising from one screen stimulus to another, though, why not get off your butt?  Why not go for a short walk?  Why not water the plants, file the pile, eat a fun lunch, or shovel some snow?

Which reminds me…There’s still white stuff to push around here.  And this screen is draining my energy.

Time for a break!  YEE-ha!

Like this tractor, most of us will keep running and working for a long, long time.  Like this tractor, we need to take a break (brake?) now and then.

Yes, just about everyone will have gaps between jobs—whether you like it or not.  Let’s do the math:

The average job tenure is now 5 years; most folks will work about 50 years; that’s about 10 career break opportunities between gigs!

When presented with the idea of a BreakAway, most folks’ first response is, “Oh, I could never do that!”  And yet, isn’t it likely to happen at some point?

If you don’t find your career break, maybe it will find you.  With so many jobs and so little free time, we can only hope.

It pays to be ready.

Survey sez…

• 5.2 Median number of years that full-time workers stay in their jobs (in 2010).
• 5.1 Median job tenure for women in 2010, an increase from 4.2 years in 1983.
• 5.3 Median job tenure for men in 2010, a drop from 5.9 years in 1983.

Employee Benefit Research Institute

Why do politicians thrust themselves into worlds that work just fine without them?  Why do Republicans—who claim to favor unintrusive, small government—keep interfering without invitation?  The latest instance is taking place in my home state, Iowa, where elected geniuses are threatening professors’ pursuit of improvement.

Never mind that, as part of budget consciousness, Iowa has reduced its sabbaticals by half over the last two years.  Never mind that it costs only $422,283—for replacement teachers—per year.  Heck, that doesn’t even buy enough attack ads to throw an election.

Never mind that, according to the Regents, that modest sabbatical investment last year yielded $5.2 million in grants.  Wouldn’t you be in favor of an opportunity to increase your money ten-fold while upgrading your employees’ skills?

Nonetheless, a handful of pols have had it with spending money on University-sponsored research and study.  They’ve declared a verbal war on the Regents—dubbing them “arrogant” for approving 95 requested sabbaticals at the three state university.

So naturally, they’ve threatened that the Regents could be “punished” for their vote.  By that they probably mean fired—and then replaced by like nonthinking “leaders.”    But that’s only the beginning.

• Speaking of “arrogant”…

When the obstreperous elephants flap their wings and jaws, it sounds something like this:

Why should the taxpayers of Iowa be paying to basically give these folks a year off from teaching?”

asks incoming House Speaker Kraig Paulsen (whose party just won power in November).

Clearly, Mr. Paulsen fails to value education—and the university system of three impressive schools that countless Iowans have created over the decades.  His ignorance and desire to micro-manage apparently run so deep that he can’t consider that sabbaticals are a time for research, writing, collaboration, and innovation.

In fact, in 2009, according to the Associated Press, Iowa professors on sabbatical “published 147 research articles, created and updated nearly 100 classes, and submitted 50 grant applications.”

Oh and by the way, the new term—no doubt to pacify prying politicians—is “Professsional Development Assignnments.”

• Open your minds, Republicans

Some say sabbaticals can work wonders—thanks to the grants, new students (who seek out new, cutting-edge courses), and attention to the schools who still innovate.  And it goes without saying that recruiting and retention matter, and the best teachers are going to seek out the campuses that care about growth.

• Personal growth?  Career growth?  Intellectual growth?

Perhaps those things don’t matter in these terrible times.  Not in Louisiana, where Republican governor Bobby Jindal is cutting higher-ed budgets in hopes that Louisiana’s universities might decrease sabbaticals and “force professors to actually spend more time in the classrooms teaching and interacting with students.”

Maybe not in Wisconsin too, where incoming Republicans are demanding to know how much sabbaticals cost and whether they’re valid or vacations.  Kent State cancelled them too, but then reinstated them (after the faculty made some noise)—but with tighter monitoring.

• The last word…

Closed-minded lawmakers who thrive on negativity won’t listen, but thank goodness for people like John Curtis, of the American Association of University Professors, who calmly suggests:

the whole purpose of sabbatical is to allow faculty members to do research, to engage in understanding new developments in their discipline and then to bring all of that back to their teaching.”

Teaching.  Remember when that was a priority?  It seems that a lot of politicians have a lot to learn.

26% of Americans say they find happiness and fulfillment in their job.

11% feel their job is mostly a drain on their energy and happiness.

60% feel their job primarily serves to provide income so they can enjoy other aspects of their lives. 

Well, well, well.  All is not so well with America’s work force.  Seems like only about ¼ of us actually “like” our jobs.  That’s sad. 

Yet maybe the 60% who work to live (you might say)—rather than live to work—are onto something, if:

• They manage to maximize time and energy devoted to “other aspects” of their lives.
• They don’t give up completely, and still believe in better outcomes and career dreams.
• They avoid letting the work-for-pay-only attitude depress the rest of their outlook.
• They shun too many long days and weeks, and take their vacations.

This mindset about work can “work” if it enables us to embrace other priorities—sabbaticals, family time, community involvement, relationships and me-time–that make us more whole and complete people.  In fact, I believe we’ll ultimately contribute far more to the world if we are able to disengage from our jobs enough to engage in life in this way.  What do you think?

SOURCE:  Healthy Cos. International

It’s old news that Americans get way less vakay than our Euro rellies.  But check this:  A new EU program would subsidize vacation travel for residents who need a break—including the elderly, 18-25 year olds, and families in difficult situations.  Disabled or up in your years?  The EU would pay for your guide. 

• Read fine print before flying

Of course, a few caveats apply:  Travel must stay within Europe; the program won’t take full effect until 2013; and those in charge may require you to take your break during shoulder seasons or nudge you toward destinations that that need warm bodies.  The EU also hopes to encourage more Euro-unity by sending northerners south, and vice versa. 

So maybe there is no free vacation.  But at least they’re promoting down time  Heck, The EU already requires member nations to provide four weeks off, while some nations opt for more.  (France takes six, ooh la la!) 

• US time-off laws still lousy

In the US, vacation is not a right—basic, human, or otherwise.  Employers need not give you a day off.  And of course, the majority of employees don’t use all their vacation days anyway. 

Would the USA be a more productive, healthier, happier place to live and work if everyone got to BreakAway now and then? That’s an obvious yes. 

So call your congresspeople!  Go on strike!  But don’t expect change fast, at least not while employees are hugging their desks and assembly lines during this recession—scared about job security, to say nothing of pay and benefits. 

Ergo, take care of yourself.  Retire now and then.  You’ll make more of your life—and probably your income—in the long run.

Sabbatical fans have watched with wide eyes as global mammoth KPMG/Britain hit hard times, sought solutions beyond firing, and found success. 

Their “Flexible Futures” concept offered TIME in exchange for money.  And 80% of the target employees took advantage of one of the options.  Yessssss!

Standing O to all involved:  To KPMG for its compassionate efforts to keep staff employed; to the workers who found a way to trade money for time (what a gift!); and to the families that no doubt made some sacrifices to adjust to the new budget and schedule.

Here’s yet another reason most people can’t manage a modest BreakAway: Nearly half don’t even get paid sick days. It’s no wonder flus and colds spread like wildfire. We can only hope that someday, sick days will be mandatory by law—and that meanwhile our workforce remains upright. 

Here are some other sickening facts: 

• Nearly four out of five low wage workers receive no paid sick leave.
• Only 16% of part-time employees get paid sick days.
• Only 60% of full-time workers can take a sick day with pay.  

Get the rest of the facts here from the government’s mouth.

To heck with the healthcare debate—let’s do something about keeping our population well by encouraging ill people to stay home, where they belong.

photo by Kirk Horsted

It’s November, a month when few people vacation (turkey gobbling notwithstanding).  That’s understandable; it’s the grayest month of the year–and a prelude to the impending holiday frenzy.  But what is NOT understandable is that Americans set a new record last year by letting 436 million days of vacation days go UNUSED.*  What’s that worth?  A $19.3 billion kickback to employers.  Help!

That’s the bad (make that pitiful) news.  But it’s doubly disgusting given that American employees receive, on average, fewer vacation days (13) than any other developed nation.  Yet we can’t find a way to use it all—shorting ourselves by an average of 3 days that we’re due.  What’s wrong with us, and this picture!?!

Expedia sells vacations—and thus have an obvious motive for taking up the cause of Vacation Deprivation.  But their findings get support from many other sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Perhaps from you too?

• Take your time to live–LONGER

(more…)

• 77.  Percentage of senior executives and managers who work 41 to 60 hours a week 
• 11.  Percentage of business leaders who work 11 hours or more a day
• 40.  Percentage of businesspeople who work 10 or more hours a day

One cool trend emerging from the global downturn is that some savvy firms that are not just firing folks, but offering them Sabbaticals instead.  Talk about civilized, sane, and exciting.  Yet employees, even highly paid lawyers, balk at the idea for obvious reasons:  fear of the future, the unknown and a real or perceived lack of financial stability. 

Yet the movement shows promise, since this may be the biggest boost for sabbaticals, well, ever.  We all wish the offers came out of rich coffers.  But if free time is the silver lining to this downturn, all is not lost!  This website goes gaga about BreakAways—but never once says that arranging one is cheap or easy. That’s particularly true when a monster-company institutes them.

• As we reported earlier this year, the European auto industry has turned to all kinds of sabbatical schemes and temporary shutdowns in hopes of riding out the recession.  
• Back in the states, at law firm Caldwater, Wichersham & Taft, a bunch of lawyers can take a “one-year, unrestricted sabbatical,” with medical bennies and one-third of their pay.  The company will match you with a nonprofit for volunteer work.  I’m in!   
• The massive UK telecom-glomerate, BT, has created a “Time Out” package that hands you a year off with 25% of your pay.  There’s another option:  Take a cash bonus to go from full-time to part-time for year.  C’mon, friends:  This is the break you’ve been dreaming about!  Yet a company rep states there is “currently a low level of interest in taking sabbaticals because of operational pressures and people’s individual financial needs.”  Harrumph.  
• One of Spain’s biggest banks, BBVA, tempts staff with 3-5 years off at 30% pay.  They guarantee you a job at the end of your Big BreakAway AND maintain your healthcare throughout.  You can even pursue other professional projects.  (Open a flower shop, caterer, or consultancy, anyone?)  You may shorten your work commitment to tend to relatives or your own education.  Spaniards can thank their tough labor laws; now, can they reap the rewards?
• And finally, in friendly Finland, Labor Minister Tarja Cronberg reports that a study on Finland’s sabbatical program—in place since their last downturn in 1996—has proven to be successful.  Young people have especially benefitted.  Now there’s a small country that thinks BIG.  

All to say:  Sabbaticals live.  In fact, they thrive.  Now more than ever.  So even if you think, “Oh, I could never do that!!”  remember that your boss may one day encourage or insist.  So keep an open mind.  Keep some savings at the ready.  And keep on dreamin’ and schemin’…