Survey has revealed the UK’s attitudes to career breaks

There are many beneficial and rewarding ways that people can spend their career break such as doing voluntary work, training, returning to full time education, caring for relatives or children or paid work abroad.

Altitude Futures surveyed 1,000 UK working adults to discover whether they would be interested in a career break. 

The research showed that over a third (37%) of the UK say they would consider taking a career break in 2022, 32% of those have already made plans to do so.

28% of those in the survey answered that the pandemic had had an effect on their choice to partake in a career break. The pandemic has also had the biggest impact on young people wishing to take a career break as 64% of those aged 18-24 said the pandemic had changed their mind.

It’s essential to take vital time to look after your own health and wellbeing so it’s no wonder that 52% of those surveyed would like to relax if they take a career break.

Additionally, 48% would like to travel the world on their career break as it opens you up to new experiences and 41% of those surveyed would like to develop personally on their career break.

Moreover, 40% of those surveyed would like to learn something new on their career break and 31% would like to work in a different industry for future work opportunities. 

Finally, 27% of those surveyed would like to go on a retreat on their career break.

However, 54% of those surveyed said they would not consider taking a career break. This was because 23% were worried they wouldn’t be able to return to their workplace afterwards and 20% thought it would affect their career or progression at their job.

Looking at the regional data, Londoners are the most likely to say that they would consider taking a career break next year at 58%. 45% of those already have made plans to do so. 

Londoners are also most likely to say the pandemic changed their mind about taking a career break, with 42% saying it did.

Taking a career break is a life changing decision and should not be taken lightly. It is essential to determine all the key details before making any plans. If you do decide to have a career break, there are many benefits for both your professional and personal life.

Jon West, Altitude Futures Director said: “We’re so happy to see people are open to taking a career break because it allows them to focus on their hobbies and master their passions.

“We’re hardly surprised to see that the highest percentage answered that they would like to relax if they were to take a career break with the crazy year we’ve had.

“We’re hoping to see more people wanting to explore their options for a career break because yes it will look good on the CV, but it also allows you to potentially travel the world, discover a new career or make an impact for the greater good!”