Breaks in employment

lostgirl1

Hi all,

Need advice. Been in the same workplace for a few years, I want to move on but struggle to make the jump. I am definitely in the comfort zone. They also don’t inspire confidence or build you up. It’s a toxic culture and very political. I want to take some time off and get my confidence/ peace of mind back.

Is it acceptable to a future employer if I take 3-6 months break in employment?

Also, is it normal during acquiring references for potential employers to gain access to sick leave records without your knowledge?

Absences could be well explained by taking time off to study something, care for a relative, doing voluntary work, educational travel. Doing a course of some sort that might be relevant to future employment would be a perfect way to justify the gap.

Count Dracula

It is your life and time. You are entitled to spend it as you wish. Your CV is an explanation of your credentials and skills. employers looking to decipher your time spent in various roles are often not worth the bother.

If you want a break go and take one. Enjoy your time off and see where it takes you. Candidates returning from extended time off are usually raring to go and will have a focus on what they want, much better than employing someone who is fatigued and just hoping for a change. Do something with the time. That might be cave painting in the Andes or drinking cows milk in the Mongolian wilderness. But use your time off to your advantage and try to gain a positive experience from it.

Any employer who does not respect your life choices is never going to respect you either, that includes your work. Remember that. Far too many drones out there focused on what they appear to look like on paper, pointless. If your current job is not fulfilling you get out of there, you are wasting your time and your life.

Mrs OBumble

Some government jobs ask about your sick leave history as part of reference checking. Never heard of a private sector company doing it though.

lostgirl1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119733037#Comment_119733037

Job I’m in has a high sick leave rate due to the nature of it (HCW) yet I’ve had two experiences where prospective private employers ask for sick records (dates etc) as part of their reference questionnaire. I wasn’t aware of that until after the fact. And I didn’t give consent but not sure if I get a choice or not tbh?

lostgirl1

Also, is it normal to go 6 years without sitting down for an annual performance review? Our managers don’t seem to do them at all!