More and more British workers are taking career breaks one study reported that three-quarters of the workforce was thinking about it.

But if youre in your late 40s or early 50s, a career break could prove difficult. You might not want to wait until you retire, but then, you dont want to take a step off the corporate ladder in case you cant get back on again. But help is at hand. Well show you a few things you can do, so even if you dont end up taking a career break, at least youll have tried!

First, make sure youre clear in your mind about what obstacles youre facing. Once you start tackling them, you may find that they are not as big as you imagine, or you will find ways around them.

The first thing you can do is find out what the company policy and attitude are with regard to career breaks.

• If someone else at your company has taken a career break, speak to them about it (even if their circumstances are different from your own)
• Get hold of your company handbook and see what (if anything) it says about career breaks or sabbaticals
• Sound out the HR manager and/or your boss, if you can do this without raising suspicion (perhaps mentioning a friend at another company who is taking a career break)

Then, decide what your approach is going to be. Your basic options are:

• Request a paid sabbatical
• Request an unpaid sabbatical
• Resign (then look for another job when you get back

If you decide to ask for an unpaid sabbatical, make sure youre flexible about when you go. Its also a good idea to give as much notice as possible (3 6 months). Try to understand your bosss point of view, and show how your career break will help the company. For example:

• You will develop useful skills which you can bring back to the company (eg communication)
• You can learn skills that you cant learn in your current job (eg negotiation)
• You may also learn practical skills (eg a language)

You may also note that it could be cheaper for them to allow you to take your unpaid sabbatical, than it is for you to resign and for them to recruit someone else. You might like to make suggestions for a temporary replacement if that is necessary this will show that youre trying to make it as easy as possible for them.

If youre granted a sabbatical, congratulations! Make sure you get the terms of your sabbatical in writing, and remember to ask the following questions:

• Can I do other paid work? (Usually not unless its for a charity and make sure this covers voluntary work where you might be paid expenses or pocket money)
• Is my job guaranteed when I come back? If so, is it at the same salary as when I left? (Its unlikely youll get a pay rise if youre away at review time).
• Can we discuss my other company benefits? (Eg, your company car, gym membership etc).
• Will I be able to rejoin the company pension scheme? If not, is it possible to freeze or reduce payments for the duration of my career break?

Decide what you want, and what youll settle for. If you cant reach an agreement with your employer, and you absolutely have to take a career break, you may choose to resign.

If you do resign, you might be concerned about getting another job when you get back. Make sure you have enough savings to tide you over for a few months when you return from your career break, while you look for a new job. Do a little research into your industry before making your decision. If its booming, you might feel you have nothing to worry about, but if theres been a recent downturn, you may be reluctant to let go of the security of your job. Dont forget though, that many career breakers dont stay in the same industry but do something completely different when they return. Some set up their own businesses, some go into a different career and some dont come back at all!

What you really need to decide is what is most important to you and once youve done that, youre already halfway there!