In administering sabbatical leave in an organisation, human resources play a critical and essential role which cannot be overlooked. Since sabbatical leave is considered to be valuable, providing benefits that are numerous to employees and organisations alike, there are tangible results felt in and within the organisation.
Take, for instance, when Forte Mobile Industrial company decides to provide a period of both paid and unpaid leave, it has acted in a way that allows employees to recharge, as well as pursue both personal and professional development opportunities, thereby returning to work revitalized.
For Forte Mobile Industrial company to effectively avail this opportunity to its employees, the human resources department is needed. HR, while administering sabbatical leave policies ensure that the employees are aware of the benefits and procedures.
Administering Sabbatical Leave Policies
As earlier stated, using the human resources department to administer sabbatical leave policies is not only reasonable but also considered the best practice. They are saddled with responsibilities that include developing, implementing, and communicating sabbatical leave policies to employees.
This arrangement put into consideration the eligibility criteria, application procedures, and approval processes. As a department that carries out its functions with utmost diligence and professionalism, compliance with organisational requirements and legal obligations, including labour law is practiced.
The effective administration of sabbatical leave policies is handled by first establishing clear and concise procedures, communicating policies to both employees and managers, and maintaining accurate records.
Human resources also review and evaluate sabbatical leave regularly in order to ensure that they are properly effective and compliant.
Examples of Sabbatical Leave Policies
Sabbatical leave policies can be implemented in a private or public organisation; it can also be implemented in an academic institution.
For corporate organisations, sabbatical leave may be offered as part of employee benefit, allowing employees to refresh and pursue a personal or professional interest. A midsized company can decide to offer an employee a four-week sabbatical leave for completing six years of service.
On the other hand, an academic institution can offer sabbatical leave to staff who belong to different faculty on the campus just to allow them pursue research, writing, or other professional development opportunities in their career. A professor of English can be offered a semester-long sabbatical leave for completing a certain number of years.
Sabbatical leave is a valuable employee benefit which an organisation offers to its employees. The HR handles this task, knowing that employees can return to their refreshed and revitalized. They administer the leave by establishing clear policies, communicating the procedures and maintaining accurate records.