Sabbatical Spotlight - Cathy

Name: Cathy Loughead

Title: Assistant Controller, QCBT and SFC

How many years have you been with the company? 21

Was this your first sabbatical with QCBT/QCRH? I have had 2 sabbaticals

What did you do while on sabbatical? My first sabbatical was the year my youngest child graduated high school. We took a family vacation to Disney. My second sabbatical was in 2019 and I spent a month taking care of my youngest grandchild, who was just 4 months old. That was such a joy to be his daily caregiver. I had a theme for my sabbatical, which was “family and music.” I took several trips on weekends and was able to take my great-niece (college sophomore) to a Timberwolves game in Minneapolis. I attended two weekend singing retreats, went to a rock concert, and also visited several family members.

What was your favorite part about the sabbatical experience? Spending quality time with my family is something I cherish. And just stepping back and not having any work related responsibilities.

Do you think the sabbatical experience is an appealing benefit for QCBT/QCRH staff and potential employees? I do think it’s appealing. I have never run across anyone who gets a sabbatical. Many people are amazed about this benefit, when I mention it. However, I don’t think that benefit would make or break someone’s commitment to working here. 

What advice would you have for someone getting ready to take a sabbatical? Plan, plan, and then plan.  It starts with identifying the right co-workers to take on your tasks, spreading the tasks over multiple folks, and then train early so they have a chance to actually do the task before you leave. Create a “sabbatical” folder on a shared drive with samples and notes of how to get tasks done.

Create a “sabbatical trash” folder in your email and write a rule to have ALL emails moved to that folder while you are out. Do NOT read any of the emails in the “sabbatical trash” folder when you return! They are just there in case you need to refer back to something. Everything should have been taken care of while you were out!!!! 

Do you have anything else you’d like to add regarding your sabbatical experience? I can’t wait for my next one! :)

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