yourSABBATICAL Shares Top Five Reasons Why Now Could Be the Best Time to Consider...

yourSABBATICAL Shares Top Five Reasons Why Now Could Be the Best Time to
Consider a Sabbatical

Leading Sabbatical Strategists Say Sabbaticals Make Sense Even in Dismal
Economic Times

ATLANTA, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- As we continue to be immersed in an economic
downturn, business leaders are struggling with concerns about talent
recruitment and retention, motivating employees with dwindling resources, and
bolstering productivity and innovation. Strategists at yourSABBATICAL suggest
that a sabbatical program, if designed properly, can be a low-cost offering
that boosts morale, keeps talent engaged and recharged, develops employees not
on sabbatical through the work coverage process, and strengthens the company's
brand for the long run.

Sabbaticals = Managerial Insanity?

"At first glance, business leaders may think that sabbaticals are managerial
insanity, particularly in times like these," said Elizabeth Pagano, co-founder
of yourSABBATICAL. "However, once one takes a deeper look, they understand
that the benefits of sabbaticals far outweigh the perceived unorthodoxy."

yourSABBATICAL defines a "sabbatical" as a planned, strategic job pause - paid
or unpaid - whereby an individual takes time to disconnect from what is
"usual" for at least four weeks, to travel, do research, volunteer, learn a
new skill, or fulfill a lifelong dream before returning to regular work.

Still sound crazy?

Sabbaticals Make Sense - Even Now

yourSABBATICAL says that when companies are in "survival mode", it is even
more critical to focus on human resources. They offer the Top Five Reasons
Companies Should Consider a Sabbatical Program in a Down Economy:

1. Circumvent layoffs - As a short-term strategy, sabbaticals provide a
means for companies to keep their talent and save money now.
2. Preserve and protect human capital - In a knowledge economy, companies
that take the focus off of programs that motivate, engage and nourish
their work force are not just shooting themselves in the foot, but in
the
brain.
3. Nurture innovation - The right talent is needed to generate innovative
ideas. A career break equates to rejuvenation - a critical component
for
the creativity needed to innovate. Typical "flex" programs
don't solve the problem of truly reinvigorating talent.
4. Become a talent magnet - Even in a weak economy, businesses compete for
talent. Keep in mind what economists call "adverse selection",
where the least productive workers are the ones who are most likely to
stay when wages are cut while the best workers start looking elsewhere.
As pay increases are nearly extinct, time has become the new currency.

5. Increase loyalty - Sabbaticals give a big boost to loyalty. How
companies treat their human capital in tough times will reflect the
amount of "good will" that is returned to them by their
employees under the guise of loyalty.

"When you take smart, successful people out of their daily grind - and often
their safety zones - and give them the opportunity to expand in real life,
they return pumped with new vigor which translates to higher performance,"
says Barbara Pagano, also a founding partner of yourSABBATICAL.

Sabbaticals Are Not a Perk

Sabbatical programs allow employers to rejuvenate and reward top performers at
a time when budgets are under siege. By putting employee development on the
shelf, businesses damage their talent pool and they may suffer bigger losses
when they need to replace workers who have left or were laid off - a costly
proposition.

"We are not talking about the old model of sabbaticals as a 'perk' that
companies could offer," said Elizabeth Pagano. "We are talking to companies
about implementing strategic programs to hold on to their hotshots; to care
for and feed their superstars, now and over the course of entire careers with
significant benefits for all."
For more information on sabbatical programs, please visit
http://yoursabbatical.com.

About yourSABBATICAL

yourSABBATICAL is dedicated to helping companies and employees plan
sabbaticals to make sure they aren't just a fun vacation without measurable
results. The firm's process includes: helping employers design and implement
the best sabbatical program to meet their HR strategy, budgetary and corporate
expectations; helping employees plan and craft defined goals they take away
and bring back into the business as development assets; and designing work
coverage processes and other systems that cross-pollinate talent while the
employee is on sabbatical to further benefit the organization's team structure
for a win-win solution. yourSABBATICAL founders, Barbara Pagano and Elizabeth
Pagano, are sabbatical thought leaders, bloggers, and authors. Together, they
wrote the acclaimed leadership book, The Transparency Edge: How Credibility
Can Make or Break You in Business, published by McGraw-Hill. yourSABBATICAL
has helped Fortune 500 companies with sabbatical and leadership training,
including General Mills, Royal Caribbean, General Electric, Coca-Cola, Target,
American Express, Delta, and AT&T.
For a complete media kit or to schedule an interview, please call Jennifer
Kardian at (678) 352-3652 or email jkardian@carabinerpr.com. For more
information on sabbaticals and yourSABBATICAL, please visit
www.yourSABBATICAL.com.

SOURCE yourSABBATICAL

Jennifer Kardian of Carabiner Communications, +1-678-352-3652,
Jkardian@carabinerpr.com, for yourSABBATICAL