Without wanting to go into too much details, my academic unit is "toxic" (personal interactions, attitudes), with a high teaching / admin burden. However we are "research intensive" and need to perform well in REF.
The atmosphere in the department is costing me, slowly, my sanity and I am rarely able to concentrate on research. I lead a biggish group and have plenty of paper drafts I should be focussing on - sadly, this never happens. There is not one day going without someone shouting, making threats, snide comments to someone else in the team.
I was advised to go on a research break to step away from my toxic environment and take stock - however, my kind institution does not offer sabbaticals (like most others) and I would be required to match my salary while I am away.
I would be very keen to hear from anyone who managed this in lifesciences / biomedical sciences / applied statistics... :)