Sabbatical Leave Policy (Hill-Snowdon Foundation, 2023)

The Foundation believes that effective institutions are guided and sustained by creative, committed and dependable people. Leaders need time to think, rest, reflect and rejuvenate if they are to keep their organizations and programs innovative and moving forward. To achieve this and help prevent job related stress and burnout, the Foundation endorses a discretionary paid sabbatical benefit to employees.

Eligibility: All full-time and part-time employees are entitled to a three-month (prorated for part-time employees) sabbatical after five years of employment and three month sabbaticals (prorated for part-time employees) after every three years of employment thereafter, subject to approval by the Executive Committee.

Terms:

• Three-month paid sabbatical with full benefits, independent of any accumulated paid leave (vacation, sick, personal, maternity/paternity, etc.). If an employee’s sabbatical falls on a holiday, that day still counts towards an employee’s sabbatical time.
• A maximum of four months of combined paid leave/vacation/parental/ sabbatical time is allowed in any 12-month period for an employee.
• The employee is encouraged to incorporate a learning or professional development opportunity into his/her sabbatical. For example, an employee may spend some portion of time during the sabbatical volunteering for a grassroots partner organization.
• The primary requirement for the sabbatical is that it provide time for reflection and rejuvenation so that the employee can come back refreshed and with renewed commitment. The Foundation recognizes that how this is best accomplished is specific to the employee, and therefore, the employee shall propose how the sabbatical will be used, including why the proposed approach is best, and a statement of goals/outcomes for the sabbatical.
• Professional development/tuition reimbursement benefit may be used in conjunction with the sabbatical benefit if the budget allows.
• Only one employee may be on sabbatical at any time during any 6-month period.
• Employees will not be eligible to take a week or more vacation leave within two months prior and two months after sabbatical leave.
• Timing of sabbatical leave for program staff may be limited by the Foundation to periods that will have the least impact on grantmaking workloads.
• Employees who take sabbatical leave will be expected to stay at the Foundation for at least one year after the end of the sabbatical.
• An employee who is eligible but decides to leave the Foundation before taking the sabbatical leave will not be entitled to a sabbatical or its cash equivalent.