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Comment by P_I_Staker | Hacker News Reader

Don't forget if you stop working for any reason, you're now a failure, met with suspicion, and expected to explain that for the rest of your life. It's not even about the financial aspect, our society is very punitive to people that want to leave their cages for a while. What you wanted more than this office for one year out of your 30+ year career? There must be something wrong with you.

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I've had some really weird experiences with this. Directly after school, I took a year off basically "waiting" for my job to finally accept me (long story, they eventually did) and now, every single recruiter or company I talk to demands I explain why I took a year off. "I see you didn't immediately join the workforce, care to explain?" is what they hit me with every single time. It is unbelievable that I need to explain it to them. They are usually accepting when I tell them I was just waiting for my first job to accept me, but I can't imagine it would be the same if I just needed some "me" time before starting my career.

Yeah, it's super dumb, and makes me depressed about the world we live in.

This happened to me. At the end of a long and stressful divorce, I realized that I needed to take some time off (or else). Took about six months and then discovered that it's very difficult to get rehired after such a gap. (Being "old" doesn't help either.)

You have to play the cards you're dealt, though, and if you really need a break, it's way better than the "or else".

You just say "My ____ died and I had a tough time with that" (where blank is mother, father, daughter, son, whatever). If they have a problem with that you don't want the job anyways.

I was usually honest and said "bad divorce". Your suggestion would elicit a more reasonable level of sympathy and is a far better idea.

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