Why more and more people are choosing to go full-time

More and more people in Germany are taking a break or dreaming about it.

“People go to work, often more than the working hours stipulated in the work contract – after that the body must be taken care of or remodeled: there are meetings with friends and relatives, whether in professional life or in leisure time, one appointment depends on the other.” Says the teacher and the athlete Tania Walter-Aries: “Time to do nothing, let your mind wander, it must be included in the weekly schedule, otherwise it will not be there.” Feeling constantly rushed from date to date, and enjoying a little free time so you can play with children in peace Or, wanting to read a book again in the middle of the day, making her dreams grow and this is also wanting a break.

Tania Walther-Aries, born in 1970, grew up in an idyllic rural area in Hesse. After winning the State Federations Championship several times with the Hessian Selection Team in the 1980s, after graduating from high school and by small turns, she moved to Berlin, where she began to study special education and sports science and a successful career in the Bundesliga from 1992 to 1994 began tennis in Borussia Berlin. This was followed by an athletic challenge in the USA with an athletic scholarship at William Carey College, Mississippi from 1994 to 1995, then exciting years at the Potsdam Turbine in the German Bundesliga from 1995 to 1999. Since 2006 she has been a delegate for European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) . From 2011 to 2013 she chaired the “Education” working group as part of the Sustainability Committee of the German Football Association. A qualified sports scientist works full time as a special education teacher. Today she is still a passionate footballer in the Berlin Regional League at club SV Settenuchil. Letting go of the career and the associated knowledge that she can only do her job as a teacher until she retires if she allows me to take a break from time to time was the crucial argument for sabbatical.

She wanted to be less nervous and recharge her batteries.

“Even during the year before the actual vacation, you can interact more relaxedly in stressful situations, and in your mind is always the thought: ‘I won’t be here next year! For Walther-Ahrens, what makes vacation so attractive are the mainly everyday things,'” she says. : “Do not do anything. Enjoying your time with amazing people without having your next appointment in mind. I escorted my daughter to kindergarten very late. Sit on the field for hours. Read the newspaper cover to cover. Go jogging. Learning a new language … ”Meanwhile, I really took several vacations. It was the first time I had traveled the agenda:“ I finally had time to discover the places I’ve always wanted to see: Australia, Hawaii, New Zealand. Visiting friends in Florida in ripped jeans across San Francisco! And you have a lot of time everywhere to enjoy the place! “

This was the case for Julia Limak, assistant director of export sales at Häcker Kitchens. She remains grateful to the family business for giving it the opportunity to develop both personally and professionally in New Zealand. It began in Frankfurt in April 2019, and set off via Dubai and Sydney to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital, in the far south of the North Island. A lot had to be organized in the first two weeks: flat stocks, bank details, mobile phone contract, and tax number. I already organized a job in advance: “A friend of mine has a kitchen studio in Wellington, and this was of course a great opportunity to gain experience abroad while at the same time improving my English language skills.” It began its career in limited German kitchens. “ Here I spent most of my time in New Zealand between kitchen design, kitchen sales, site visits and measurements, social media, design awards, customer events, creating design concepts and presentations, coordinating container delivery and organizing assembly, as a person contact person for appliance orders and contacting our Germany suppliers … “

However, she not only worked, but collected many impressions and cultural, sports and personal adventures. One of the most notable events for her was the invitation to the lecture “European Union, Pluralism and the Future of Democracy” by the late Vice President of the German Bundestag, Thomas Obermann, with whom she exchanged ideas and spontaneously invited her to the German Unity Party. Julia Limak attended the All Blacks national rugby team matches in Wellington, learned the hakka dance and went on several weekend trips. During the five-week Christmas break, I went on a big tour of New Zealand: “I climbed mountains, walked through the rainforests of New Zealand and discovered secluded beaches. The combination of rugged coastal landscapes, arid volcanic regions, sparkling blue lakes and pristine national parks make this country one My favorite travel destinations. ”In Auckland, I visited Häcker’s new studio and got to know the local team. I jumped into the new year on Kawarau Bridge 43 meters in Queenstown, the home of bungee jumping. Before returning to Germany, she continued working in Wellington. She is very grateful to her company for this opportunity and today she sees a lot with different eyes because she has “outside” and “experienced” knowledge that benefits her daily work.

“ Actual specialized knowledge can be imparted in training courses – whether due to demographic change or a decidedly growing industry 4.0, personal responsibility, goal orientation, flexibility, ability to learn and work in a team, along with workforce loyalty, are becoming increasingly important. In order to better meet future adaptation challenges, optimal training and the content of advanced training should definitely be discussed in a more dynamic way. In the future, in addition to professional qualifications, personal and interpersonal skills will also be important, ”says personnel expert Werner Neumuller and managing director of the NEUMÜLLER group of companies. Some can be transferred to other training courses – but the most important thing is personal experience with insight, such as that might be gained on study leave.

Arnd Bornemann, who has studied international economic relations and oriental studies and has held numerous operational and strategic management positions in large corporations, has also spent the first ten years of his career in a variety of places. As part of his responsibilities, he has worked in Turkey, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong for 15 years. His route led him from Turkey through Southeast Asia to Hong Kong. He wanted to get off the hamster’s daily wheel and came up with the idea of ​​a vacation. He followed his courage and resigned from his previous position as Head of Representative Office in Hong Kong. Choose Berlin as your new location. He especially appreciated his ability to throw off your time every day

Since her second vacation, Tanya Walther-Aryens has been making a journey into herself.

Related to this is dealing with new stages in life, new family plans and the desire to “spend time for all the things that would otherwise be neglected, such as reading the newspaper, sitting in the sun with a drink and a friend, going to get a walk, vacating the apartment again.” Like them, all employees can Public service applying for leave. There are different ways to design it, which also has to do with the amount of income that should be available per month. One or two people missing in school can be linked without any problems, because there are constant changes in personnel due to interns, retired people Sickness, end of parental leave, etc. A colleague took the helm of her department while on sabbatical. “Sometimes we had to get close to each other, or sometimes freelance workers were hired if there were too many absences.” Luther-Arens Managing a very collegiate school: “You know here that such a vacation is an enrichment for everyone involved. In addition to relaxation, a break also allows you to completely get out of everyday working life, so that after that it becomes possible to see a completely new work. While traveling in different countries, I come across new ideas for us as a teacher. In addition, the sabbatical year prevents the development of fatigue. “

Additional information:

Julia Limak: New Zealand – the most beautiful ending in the world. The impression of my time in New Zealand. In: INTERN. The magazine for Häcker employees. Issue 36 (November 2020), pp. 36-39.

Today’s visions – the designers of tomorrow. Inspiration and motivation for entrepreneurs. Edited by Alexandra Hildebrandt and Werner Neumuller. Publisher SpringerGabler, Heidelberg, Berlin 2018.