{"id":15870,"date":"2026-02-23T15:49:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T15:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?post_type=resources&#038;p=15870"},"modified":"2026-07-27T10:54:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T10:54:07","slug":"how-to-manage-career-breaks","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/talent-management\/employee-engagement\/how-to-manage-career-breaks\/","title":{"rendered":"How to manage career breaks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f85887e8 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-929090b5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By <strong>Kath Sadler-Smith<\/strong> and <strong>Osborne Clarke<\/strong> | Brightmine Editor:<strong> Susie Munro<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Career breaks can benefit employers and employees. If used appropriately, they can be a useful tool for employee retention. However, there are areas of uncertainty associated with their use and employers that are considering offering them need to think carefully about their career break policy. Career breaks are not legally defined, so it is important that employers and employees are clear about the terms on which career breaks are granted and the consequences of taking a break for an employee&#8217;s future employment, statutory rights and contractual benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sign up today to get:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">What is a career break?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Benefits of career breaks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Deciding whether to offer career breaks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Length of a career break<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Who qualifies?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Considering a request<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Is employment terminated by a career break?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Annual leave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Sick pay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Bonuses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Benefits\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Service-related benefits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Career development<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Requirement to work for the employer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Other employment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Returning to work<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Failure to return<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Individual agreements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Want to see more?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For full access to <strong>How to manage career breaks<\/strong>, sign up to a HR and Compliance Centre subscription today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/uk\/quote\/?intcmp=hrcc-migrated-resource|quote|request-a-quote\" style=\"border-radius:25px\">Request a quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column lnrs-hide-block-on-mobile is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--secondary-gray);border-left-width:2px;padding-left:10px;flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained wp-container-2 is-position-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-secondary-gray-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1b31d3a2 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:1rem;padding-top:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Latest updates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Updated to remove references to case law on holiday pay that is no longer relevant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-bleach-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-22a7c014 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding-top:10px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Navigate HR complexity with confidence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Brightmine, you can build powerful people strategies, implement best practices and set your organisation up for a brighter future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learn how our tools, resources and automation can empower you and your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/uk\/solutions\/?intcmp=cta|blog|solutions|learn-more\" style=\"border-radius:25px\">Learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group lnrs-hide-block-on-mobile has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-64c039dc wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-secondary-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-secondary-gray-background-color has-background\" style=\"margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read more articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-query is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"><ul class=\"wp-block-post-template is-layout-flow wp-container-core-post-template-is-layout-a7dce961 wp-block-post-template-is-layout-flow\"><li class=\"wp-block-post post-22816 resources type-resources status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry category-blogs topic-ai-in-hr topic-hr-future\">\n<h2 style=\"font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 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This article looks &#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource\" style=\"background-color: #f3f2f0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/talent-management\/employee-engagement\/volunteer-leave-policy\/\"><div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource_image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/12171529\/coworkers-working-on-laptops-in-modern-office.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"sync\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/lnrs-resources-filter\/assets\/images\/category-flag.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category_icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">Tools &amp; 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senior executive appointments and dismissals; restraint of trade; redundancies and business reorganisations; outsourcing and business transfers; discrimination issues; and the implications of engaging contractors and atypical workers. She regularly delivers bespoke training and updates to clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kath spent more than two years on secondment to a blue-chip multinational software company, where she was responsible for: advising on a broad spectrum of HR issues; training HR and management; streamlining HR documentation and processes; and assisting US management in dealing with sensitive UK employee issues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Career breaks can benefit both employers and employees, but they require careful planning and clear communication. This guide explains how to manage career breaks, including eligibility, length, impact on pay and benefits, and the employee\u2019s return to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":16017,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"wp-custom-template-new-resources","categories":[12],"tags":[],"topic":[100,23,21],"class_list":["post-15870","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides-how-to","topic-career-development","topic-employee-engagement","topic-talent-management"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to manage career breaks | Brightmine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to manage career breaks, including eligibility, duration, impact on pay and benefits, and return-to-work considerations for UK employers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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