Twenty minutes into this and I decided that I need a sabatical, though, for most people who have proper jobs they might just call it a summer / Xmas holiday.
So ⌠(I think) Iâm taking a month off starting next mid way through next week.
I must admit I have been wondering why âsabbaticalâ is used so often now. Isnât it just a holiday/vacation? Perhaps I should listen to this episode and maybe all will be revealed 
The difference is that you get paid during a sabbatical, other types of leave are normally not paid at the normal rate.
I work at university so take them occasionally, as long as the departmental budget allows for a temporary replacement to cover my classes!
Havenât listened yet.
Thereâs quite a weight to the meaning of âsabbaticalâ. Itâs popular among some Christian groups and Christians who are influential in the âproductivityâ space - itâs to do with âsabbath restâ as a way of giving God proper acknowledgement by having some time when you donât give priority to ordinary human (work etc.) concerns and has been broadened to be a way of balancing work and life: creating time for yourself and your loved ones. Itâs particularly applied where the worker has more control over their work times and practices - as in a lot of modern information work (and came there from Academia). There is maybe a need to make a clean break and refresh your mind and purpose when your work and life are basically the same thing most of the time.
Paid holidays, with a minimum number of days per year, are legally required in most civilised countries! 
I was editing this while you typed the response! I meant other types of leave. Of course there are paid holidays.
Itâs interesting that âholidayâ also has deep roots in Christian thought. A âholydayâ was originally time off work for a Christian festival (like Christmas or Easter but also saints days).
In Medieval Europe, it has been calculated that workers had more time off for âholydaysâ than modern workers are entitled to, especially if you include Sundays.
Iâm run my own little consulting business, and people like me often donât take holidays or vacations. Or, if we do, we work through them.
Calling it a sabatical kinda reframes what other people call a vacation so itâs palatable and not just a working vacation.
Thatâs been an ongoing internet meme for a few years now, so I tried to research it. Itâs not really true, but itâs complicated. Tons of articles about it if you search though.
It was a sociological/historical discussion long before the internet existed. I remember face-face seminars that got quite heated about whether capitalism had made us all work much harder and with less freedom. As you say, itâs complicated.