Harvard’s DJ DiDonna makes the case for sabbaticals

By the Editorial Team · Monday, August 3, 2026

DJ DiDonna, a Harvard Business School lecturer and former entrepreneur, has written a book advocating for the benefits of sabbaticals based on his own four-month break and extensive research. He argues that sabbaticals, which are becoming more common in corporate America, enhance employee well-being and organizational resilience by fostering creativity, engagement, and loyalty.

DJ DiDonna, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and former start-up co-founder, has become an advocate for the transformative benefits of sabbaticals, drawing from his personal experience and extensive research. In his new book, Big Time Off: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals and How to Take One, DiDonna chronicles how a four-month break, which included walking a 900-mile pilgrimage in Japan, reshaped his perspective on work and life.

DiDonna’s journey began in his early thirties, when despite professional success running a business supporting entrepreneurs in emerging markets, he found himself disengaged and irritable. The sabbatical provided a crucial reset, offering not only rest but also a period packed with memorable and meaningful experiences. Since then, he has championed long breaks from work as essential rather than a luxury, emphasizing their role in personal growth and organizational health.

The book highlights a growing trend in corporate America, noting that the number of organizations offering sabbaticals nearly doubled between 2019 and 2024. While sabbaticals have been part of some companies’ culture for decades—Intel, for example, has offered sabbaticals for over 30 years—many businesses remain hesitant. DiDonna argues that embracing extended leave policies can benefit companies by fostering employee engagement, creativity, and loyalty. He points to the challenges organizations already manage with turnover and parental leave, suggesting sabbaticals are a manageable addition that builds organizational resilience.

DiDonna categorizes sabbatical participants into three groups: achievers, explorers, and seekers. Achievers, often in high-status roles, use sabbaticals productively to pursue projects such as writing or learning new skills. Explorers focus on travel and discovery, sometimes finding unexpected value in nearby experiences. Seekers use the time for introspection and reconnecting with past passions. Regardless of type, DiDonna recommends beginning sabbaticals with an extended period of rest and minimal planning to allow space for reflection.

A key practice DiDonna advocates is journaling during the sabbatical, describing it as a meditative process that helps people gain perspective on their routines and assumptions. Even when sabbaticals do not go as planned, he says the experience itself can offer valuable insights.

In addition to his writing, DiDonna founded The Sabbatical Project in 2019 to further research and support sabbatical initiatives for individuals and organizations. He points out that younger workers, particularly those from Generation Z, prioritize meaningful experiences, flexibility, and purpose over salary, aligning with a broader movement toward more human-centered work policies.

Despite these shifts, DiDonna acknowledges challenges, particularly in the United States, where employees are known for underutilizing available time off. Nonetheless, he frames sabbaticals as an increasingly recognized and valuable investment in both employee well-being and long-term business success.

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