Sabbatical Stories - Megan

Name: Megan Blair

Title: AVP Senior Internal Auditor

How many years have you been with the company? 13

Was this your first sabbatical with QCBT/QCRH? This was my first.

What did you do while on sabbatical? I took my sabbatical in August 2019 while my three school-aged kids were on summer break.  My time-off included the following:

Week 1 – did some sprucing up of our eat-in kitchen – removed dated wallpaper border and painted. 

Week 2 – my husband and I took our three kiddos to California – we spent two days in LA and five days in San Diego.  We hit the hot spots – Universal Studios, Hollywood sign, San Diego Padres baseball game, San Diego Zoo, Harbor Cruise, Sea World, and Coronado Beach.

Week 3 – spent a couple of days recouping from our vacation.  I also traveled to Midland, MI to stay with a cousin and her family for a few days.  She is the sister I never had and we spent countless hours just catching up.

Week 4 – sent the kids back to school and spent the week reading a long overdue stack of books and organizing my kids’ school papers/projects from the prior school year.

What was your favorite part about the sabbatical experience? I was able to unplug from work and spend my time with family and friends, relaxing, catching up, and making memories.

Do you think the sabbatical experience is an appealing benefit for QCBT/QCRH staff and potential employees? Most definitely – this is truly one of the most unique benefits of our company.  Many whom I shared this experience with are in awe of this reward for time dedicated at our company.  It really is a true token of appreciation and how relationships do matter – not just with our clients but with the people who work here.

What advice would you have for someone getting ready to take a sabbatical? Communicate early and often with your manager and lay expectations for workload prior to and during your sabbatical.  This will help ensure balls aren’t dropped while you are gone as well as ensure a positive experience for all in your absence.  It also helps with the anxiety of fully unplugging while you’re away – as one who has a hard time balancing work and personal life, I knew in order to fully enjoy the sabbatical experience, I needed to have a plan in place both prior to and during my absence.   

Do you have anything else you’d like to add regarding your sabbatical experience? It was truly rewarding and one of my most memorable experiences.

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