After waiting years for a career break, it’s worth taking a few measures to ensure it runs smoothly. Friederike Heine examines how a sabbatical programme can benefit partners as well as their firm

In a 2007 report about public and private sector approaches to sabbaticals, researchers at the University of Illinois found that “many corporations consider the benefits of sabbaticals so self-evident that they forego the expense of documenting them.” A stronger endorsement is hard to imagine.