When a person proceeds on a leave of absence, every other person tends to toss around an opinion about it. For being on a leave of absence is being in an enviable situation. For one, it is authorised and approved by those who decide such matters. Also, it has an air of legitimacy about it – unlike bunking, playing truant, or absconding. When a person is on a leave of absence, it is believed that he or she enjoys a state of complete freedom – free from responsibilities, free from having to give an account of what work has been done, which the rest of the world is subjected to.
Very often, it takes a lot of ingenuity to convince authorities to grant a leave of absence. I remember the stress caused by having to write leave notes for my boys when they used to go to school. It was usually a last-minute crisis. Just as they had to board the bus they would remember an unfinished project or a must-have hair cut. They would convince me that if they attended school in such a condition I, as a parent, would attract the severest reprimand. So, a little cover up was called for. But school authorities always want to get to the bottom of the story.
Sometimes I have been summoned to school. It was an effort to talk to the teachers when they felt that a mother did not discipline her children enough. They presumed that such a mother was okay with children playing computer games when they did not attend school. If only they had read their Shakespeare, would they have known that children crawl unwillingly to school!
The adult world is more tolerant of such situations. Adults can get away doing things they could not slip past their watchful teachers. If reasons are stated to be private and personal, it is considered intrusive to ask. So while it is rude to pry, it seems okay to speculate. Even when a person stays away from work due to sheer exhaustion and is in need of rest, all the world is convinced that it is solely for amusement and recreation.
A leave of absence is an entitlement over and above holidays for festivals, sick leave or paid leave. And on such leaves it is indeed okay to play computer games or laze on a beach or do whatever, as long as nobody gets to know. A sabbatical is after all meant to recharge one’s batteries to take on onerous responsibilities.
There are some who have learnt to beat the system without resorting to any leave of absence. They unwind at work so successfully that they have no need for it. They network, share jokes and take coffee-breaks through the day. So wily employers offer flexible timings and work from home options and keep their employees on their toes.
It is interesting to study the effect on the work output when someone is absent. The disruption in work is inversely proportional to the rank of the person on leave. When the boss is away the happiness generated increases efficiency. When the maid stays away there is chaos. In short, a leave of absence is essential for all round well-being!