Time Off for Urgent Family Matters; More Companies Are Offering Extended Leave to Boost Morale and Loyalty
Todd Buchwald took a week off after each of his two sons was born. But when he and his wife were about to have their third child, in September 2001, Buchwald decided he wanted more time to spend with the boys and the new baby.</br></br>So the high-level lawyer with the State Department finally asked the decision-makers at his job if he could take off six months, using a combination of unpaid leave, vacation time and sick time permitted under the Family and Medical Leave Act. His bosses' answer was a simple yes. "I work very hard, and I think the fact that I asked for it, people must have perceived it was very important to me," he said.</br></br>Many companies and organizations are beginning to take extended leaves, both paid and unpaid, seriously. Giving a valued employee such as Buchwald a long leave promotes worker retention, morale and loyalty. And in today's economy, employees may have a better chance than in previous years to get that leave because companies providing a career break can cut back on costs. Granted, leaves can mean more work for the other employees, as we've discussed recently in this space. But those who fill in will often get a turn, too. Sometimes, the decision to give grant leave comes down to whether someone can be found to cover the work.</br></br>As a lawyer in the legal adviser's office in political military affairs at the State Department, Buchwald delayed his leave when his daughter, Elizabeth, was born just days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "Beyond how horrible [Sept. 11] was, it was also an incredibly intense time at the State Department. If 9/11 hadn't happened, I would have gone on leave earlier," he said.</br></br>Instead, he waited until January to take his six months off to bond with his infant daughter between escorting his sons to school and coaching Little League. His colleagues filled in for him and made him feel fine about taking a break. "People in the office were incredibly supportive," he said. "They already have tight schedules, but they pitched in and got everything done."