Career breaks

Under a career break scheme, an employee can negotiate long periods of time away from work (usually unpaid). The employee and employer keep in touch throughout the period.

Some career break schemes provide a guarantee that the employee's job is held for him/her until a specified date of return.

The advantage for employers is that the arrangement enables them to retain the skills of the experienced employee who, by taking the extended leave, would normally have to forfeit his/her position.

Where a career break is agreed, care should be taken to ensure the provisions of the agreement are clear, as this can impact on continuous service dates, the rights of the employee and the obligations of the employer at the end of the career break period.