By Jacqueline Fitzgerald
Tribune Staff Writer

Excerpt:

As president of her own company in Evanston, Managing Work & Family Inc. (www.mwfam.com), Bonnie Michaels didn't have the problem of negotiating with a boss for time off. She recently returned from a sabbatical that lasted from October 1999 to September 2000.

Still, Michaels readily acknowledges that persuading an employer to agree to a sabbatical of any length can be a tough sell.

"It sounds like a totally frivolous thing for people to do," she says. "The workplace doesn't encourage time off."

But she encourages people to take the plunge if they can.

The journey she took with her husband changed their lives "physically, emotionally and spiritually," she says. "We wanted to stretch ourselves, to go out on a limb without a house, roots and structure. I can't say enough about not having to have our time programmed. There was time to walk, read, meditate and learn."

Bonnie Michaels says a sabbatical should allow time for doing nothing.

Although their time was not programmed, they weren't short of things to keep them occupied.

In Seville, Spain, Michaels indulged her desires to study flamenco dance and to immerse herself in another culture. "Life there involves cafes, music, rituals and tradition," she says.

After five months in Seville, it was on to Israel for two months; part of her time there was spent on an archeological dig. In Australia, she spent seven weeks doing volunteer work, including a stint on a farm, where duties included picking weeds and cutting the grass. Next came a month of volunteering in Japan, which included time at a work camp where she cut down bushes in a forest, battling 100-degree heat and bugs.
She and her husband also took side trips to Germany and Switzerland.

As a trip evolves, she says, you get renewed in ways you don't expect. "We were without comforts, often without heat, didn't always have hot water. We were on a budget. We didn't have a car for most of the year. You realize that less is more."

And she realized the importance of connecting with others.

"People appreciated us," she says. "Each day you can make a little difference."

If you are interested in trying to arrange a sabbatical, Michaels offers the following tips:

Determine what you need. Depending on the stage of your life and career, evaluate what will help you get renewed. Whatever you choose, don't structure every moment. Time to do nothing is very important.

Find out what the policy is for time off at your organization. If you are the first to ask, find a comparable organization that has a policy.

Develop a plan that fits the cycle of work--don't plan a sabbatical at the busiest time of the year. Show the benefits: renewal, new lessons, how it will help your productivity and creativity. Would global experience benefit the organization?

Anticipate the negative responses. Be prepared with answers.

Be creative with paid leave ideas. Borrow from next year's vacation and combine sick, personal and vacation time. If you get money for conferences and workshops, negotiate to use those allowances.

Have a clear plan if you are turned down. What are you willing to live with?

Be creative with financing a trip if you choose to take one. Volunteer work costs very little. The organization called Volunteers for Peace has activities all over the world. E-mail:jfitzgerald@tribune.com