Sabbaticals are also used to broaden employee perspectives. They are widely available throughout the organization, salary and benefits continue, leave opportunities are at regular intervals following an initial period of service, those on leave return to their same jobs, and employees have an obligation to remain at the firm for a certain period of time following a sabbatical. Traditional sabbaticals in the corporate sector focus on retooling and renewal in ways similar to that of the academy. Measuring the benefits of corporate sabbaticals has become more intuitive than scientific. Successes are based on individual examples, much the same way sabbaticals are appraised in the academy.
Companies account for sabbaticals as a normal payroll cost.
As in the academy, sabbatical costs are built into the fiscal and personnel budgets and the total work force absorbs the duties of those on leave. The oft heard criticism that sabbaticals are a luxury in the academy that would not be allowed in the business world is no longer valid. The similarities of faculty and corporate sabbatical programs are striking. It is clear, however, sabbatical leaves are not just for professors anymore. They are becoming a part of corporate America and are gaining popularity in other parts of the world.