Supervisor FAQ for Sabbaticals

What is The Navigators’ policy on sabbaticals? #

The Navigator policy is to strongly encourage every Navigator Staff to take a 3-6-month sabbatical every 7-10 years.

What is my responsibility as a supervisor to the Sabbatical Advisor and the Staff on sabbatical? #

During the Sabbatical Discussion/Planning phase the supervisor, the person(s) going on sabbatical, and the Sabbatical Advisor are the primary players to mutually set direction and draft a sabbatical plan. The plan needs to be approved by the supervisor. During the actual Sabbatical the person(s), Sabbatical Advisor and Sabbatical Support Team are the primary players. The supervisor should expect the staff to connect with them at least once every phase of the sabbatical. If there are any changes to the sabbatical plan, the supervisor should be brought in in order to approve the changes.

What’s my responsibility as a supervisor to the Sabbatical Advisor and to HR? #

HR needs to know if there are any delegations of responsibility for the person(s) on sabbatical that they need to be aware of. The Supervisor Check-In Form and the Supervisory Delegation Form could be helpful. These forms are available under the Resources section at www.tdcresourcehub.org/sabbatical. The staff is responsible to communicate with their supervisor and connect with HR as needed. The Sabbatical Advisor’s responsibility is to shepherd the staff through their sabbatical phases. Feel free to connect with the person(s) on sabbatical at any time to find out how they are doing. Please do not engage them in any ministry conversation.

Should I as the supervisor be on their Sabbatical Support Team? #

That depends on your relationship with them. If you have a relationship that allows them to share their heart and you can focus on what is best for them regardless of impact on the ministry, then great.

How often should I communicate with them during their sabbatical? #

They have been encouraged to connect with you once per phase during their sabbatical. Feel free to connect with the person(s) on sabbatical at any time to find out how they are doing. Please do not engage them in any ministry conversation.

At what point on the sabbatical process can people make them job offers? #

The person(s) on sabbatical are encouraged to ask people to wait until the Realignment/ Reassignment Phase of their sabbatical before the door is opened for other opportunities to be presented. Be sure that you and the person(s) on sabbatical are aware of and in agreement before pursuing another assignment. If they are wanting to consider offers outside their current Mission/Network/City, they can reach out to Ken Larson (Ken.Larson@navigators.org) or Navs HR. They will be aware of opportunities and facilitate dialogue across the work.

How do I set up a sabbatical rotation plan for the people I supervise? #

Thanks for considering this. The NLT encourages Navigator staff to take a 3-6 month sabbatical every 7-10 years. How could you lead the staff you supervise to experience this gift? One way is to set up a sabbatical rotation plan (example on this site) which gives your staff hope and helps set expectations. You are encouraged to plan out a rotating 10-year window for the staff you supervise. You could prepare a draft plan yourself, draft the plan together with your staff during a meeting, or some other way that fits your situation. This plan does not have to be concrete and can be modified as you and your team see fit. An annual review of the rotation plan could be helpful in each staff’s PPR. This opportunity should be encouraged by you, considered during the PPR cycle, and communicated as a positive opportunity. Some great times to consider a sabbatical:

• When they are facing or considering a transition in life or ministry.
• When they are struggling with burnout or resenting their calling.
• If they haven’t had a sabbatical in the last 7-10 years.