Off the Treadmill

In October 2021, Steve Scheffel, who works in Finance & Controlling at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in Weinheim, began an 11-month sabbatical at a nonprofit organization called Lebenshilfe (German for ‘help for life’). In an interview with SEALING WORLD, he described how he spent his time and what especially impressed him.

Steve Scheffel lives with his wife and three children in Southwest Germany. He is in charge of ESG reporting in Finance & Controlling at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST). ESG is the abbreviation for Environment, Social, Governance, and has its roots in a European Union initiative. An ESG report shows a company’s performance in the environmental and social areas, along with the principles of company leadership or governance.

The COVID wave was rolling toward Europe. Most people had been working remotely for a while, primarily from their homes. Steve Scheffel, who was employed at Finance & Controlling at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, was climbing the walls at home.

“Suddenly, we had practically no social contacts outside the family. Our three children attended classes virtually and the desire to get out again became overwhelming,” he recalled. Since school was mandatory for all the children, it was impossible to take a long or even a short trip. Scheffel began thinking about a temporary career change, and soon came up with the idea of a year-long unpaid leave from Freudenberg – a sabbatical. He would join the Federal Volunteer Service at the Lebenshilfe organization (see info box). The organization, which helps people with mental disabilities, is active in the small town in a variety of ways. For example, it has workshops for metal processing and carpentry, plus horticulture, organic farming, a school, and a care facility. There is even a vineyard to work in.

“From October to February, I was assigned to the garden and landscaping. I assembled the workers and traveled with them to the work sites. We mowed lawns, raked leaves, pulled weeds, trimmed hedges – typical gardening work,” he said.

As a rule, the people in the program are not employable in the general labor market. “Depending on the type of impairment, they can handle different stress levels more or less independently. Some need more support and guidance, and others can handle tasks alone,” Scheffel said.

During the second part of his sabbatical, he worked in an “inclusion school” that focused on the integration of students with learning disabilities. He assisted teachers, working with four to six students in small classes. The children suffered in part from massive reading disabilities, and some were on the autism spectrum. The instruction did not have to follow a fixed lesson plan. The children were mainly supposed to be given a regular daily routine.

Scheffel mainly worked in the primary school classes. “I don’t have any training in special education. Depending on the type of disability, it was not always easy to get through to the students. For example, students suffering from severe manifestations of autism often cannot express themselves or communicate with others. So they are occasionally aggressive toward themselves or other students.”

Sometimes “integration aides” accompany the children suffering from autism and provide support for teachers. “At times, I was only there to assist the teachers. But when they were absent, I did the teaching myself. As the primary school has no fixed lesson plan and the children have no prescribed learning objectives, the classes can be playful. It is a matter of varying the instruction and entertaining them.”

Asked what fascinated him the most during his sabbatical, Scheffel replied: “It was my first direct contact with people with disabilities. I was a little surprised that I had no fear of contact with them and got on very well.”

What Lebenshilfe is doing for the people and society impresses him even more. “I was surprised at how many buses full of children and adults arrive each day at Lebenshilfe. The social organization in Bad Dürkheim covers a huge territory. I have also gained a huge respect for what is asked of the relatives of autistic children, how much energy it takes to support them and to be there for them around the clock if necessary.”

Would he recommend taking a sabbatical to others? “Yes, I would definitely recommend it,” said Scheffel. “But there is naturally a financial aspect since you are receiving only a small allowance during this period. But I might not make it as long. After 11 months, it’s hard to return into your normal routine.”