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Anonymous
02/24/20 at 2:51PM UTC
in
Career

Juggling Vacation Time with Work Responsibilities

I am approaching my ten year anniversary with my company, which garnered me a 4th week of vacation this year. I have the least amount of tenure on my team, which I joined 2.5 years ago. Everyone on my team is at 4 weeks of vaction (with the option to rollover a max of 5 days). I recently spoke to my husband regarding using a vacation day for a long weekend, and he was very discouraging of my using it, stating that my taking time off could make my employer think that I am not needed in my role and that my position could be eliminated. A few caveats: 1) my company did a lot of restructuring at the end of the year and offered retirement packages to avoid downsizing - although some positions in other departments were eliminated. 2) a member of my team is on medical leave currently and she and I are the only people who know how to do certain tasks. Between that and my boss' complimentary assessments of my work at our fortnightly one-on-one meetings, I feel reasonably secure in my position. 3) My father is in in late stages of life ending disease and depending on the speed of his continued decline, I may need to use more leave time to spend time with him and my mother who live several hours away. (Another point my husband made about why I shouldn't use vacation leave; although my father's condition could mean that he has a year or 5 years or somewhere in between). 4) I am extremely conscientious about scheduling my time off, checking my colleagues' calendars to make sure that my absence would not cause our department to be shorthanded. If I desire to take a day off for pleasure and two colleagues are already scheduled to be off, I will select another day. 5) my husband owns his own business; therefore, he works considerably longer hours than he would work if he were employed by someone else. He has been self-employed for 20 years now. So I'm not entirely sure about the accuracy of his perception of the world outside his small business given that length of absence from it. Compared to my colleagues, I use the least amount of vacation/sick/work from home time by a considerable amount. Each year, I carry over the maximum days allowed (and have even sacrificed vacation days in the past because projects necessitated that I be at work). But now, my husband's words have wormed their way into my brain, and I am apprehensive about using my vacation time. Is his claim something that I should take into consideration? Or is he simply overthinking things in regards to caveat #1? I would assume that managers want their employees to utilize vacation, so they can be refreshed and ready to work instead of burned out and overwhelmed. My boss takes several vacations a year as does his boss, so it seems that management is of this mindset.

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Anonymous
03/02/20 at 2:38PM UTC
OP here.. We do have one person on our team who has been with the company for almost 43 years. She started in high school. She has the maximum vacation that anyone is allowed (5 weeks plus the ability to rollover one week). We have another person in our larger team who celebrated his 50th anniversary with the company back in January. Our larger team has 75 people and over 50% of those people have 25 plus years of tenure with the company. In the 70s, it was quite common for people in high school to snag summer jobs here or after school jobs that lent themselves to full time employment upon their high school graduation. The ability to retain employees is quite impressive to me. The company is also big about hiring within, so it's possible to transfer between departments or request a stretch assignment with another department to get a fresh environment without losing the vacation benefits that one has accrued. After reading these comments, I have scheduled off a long weekend in a couple of weeks and am looking forward to it. Our children will be at school that day, and I've already told my husband that either 1) he needs to take that day off or 2) I'm tagging along if he has service calls (his business is such that this is not a problem) and we're snagging lunch. His Mondays are typically spent in his home office handling payroll, paperwork and correspondence, or handling service calls that pop up.
Clydene H
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217
Passionately helping customers & succeed.
02/28/20 at 4:42AM UTC
I agree - take your time off! And, as a manager, I love when my team members take a bunch of long weekends over whole weeks because it’s easier to cover for a day or two than five days - not that I’ve ever told them that because it’s their vacation time that they’ve earned. We all tend to do a mix . Did I mention that my team members have all been there longer than me and each have six weeks of vacation time!
User deleted comment on 02/28/20 at 2:48PM UTC
SusanA526
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38
A true HR pro from my degrees to my experience.
02/27/20 at 8:24PM UTC
I completely disagree with your husband. As an HR person I actually have a poor opinion of people who do not use their time. Perhaps you aren't able to get your work done so that's why you don't take time off.....perhaps you don't have the ability to balance your life (your whole identity is who you are at work)....perhaps you're taking the time but neglecting to record it...we offer that much vacation for a reason.....now USE it so I don't have to accrue the expense (if you carry it over into a new fiscal year)!
Shanna Williams
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32
02/27/20 at 6:34PM UTC (Edited)
In my younger years, I worked for a company that maxed me out at 2 weeks vacation after 20 years. Whenever I wanted to take some of those days I was given the answer, "Well, if that's what you need to do". I then felt guilty every time I took a day off. It was a horrible way to live. The boss had no problem taking many days off, but for some reason it was horrible if I did. I no longer am with that company. The company I work for now has a great PTO plan. I have a team of 25 and encourage my management team to make sure everyone takes their time off and to plan work loads accordingly. Take your PTO, and if you are in a critical position it is great that you are sensitive as when you take it, but also know that it is absolutely yours to take.
Alicia Picone
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781
Social Justice Advocate, Student, Mom
02/26/20 at 3:13PM UTC
The older I get, the more I realize that time off means more to me than money or other perks. We have the option of rolling over one year's worth of vacation. I currently get 21 days a year, PLUS the week between Christmas and NY, PLUS five personal days. And like most organizations, my lack of presence in the office means something significant isn't getting done. We are also allowed to use our (again, very generous) sick time for things like taking care of our parents or going to the doctor, reducing even more the amount of vacation time I use for things other than vacation. By this time of year, I'm frantically trying to schedule days off so I don't "lose" them. I feel guilty and over responsible, and then I ask myself this... If I USED all my vacation time by March and NEEDED a couple more days, would they give them to me? Most likely not - so I'm taking every single day they will take away if I don't use it.
Annetta Moses
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1.31k
Consumer Insights and Strategy Leader
02/25/20 at 4:19AM UTC
I recommend that you take the vacation day and enjoy a long weekend of rest and relaxation. Use the long weekend to recharge.
Jennifer Elliott
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223
02/24/20 at 11:49PM UTC
Vacation days are there for a reason. A good company and manager know that taking time to decompress and de-stress are key to avoiding employee burnout.
Anonymous
02/24/20 at 6:46PM UTC
Take your time off and enjoy a long weekend with your husband - it sounds like a long weekend would serve him well, too! After being with my organization for over 20+ years, I've learned that time with family - especially aging/ill parents in need of support, your children and significant other - should always be a priority. It sounds like you are very mindful of your organization's needs, your performance and your co-workers. That said, everyone is replaceable. Even when the best employee leaves, the organization will march on. Time and experiences with your family can not be replaced or retrieved. Take your vacation time - don't lose these moments. My two cents.
Rebecca Lee V
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2.22k
Operations Analyst
02/24/20 at 5:01PM UTC
I work in HR and I'll give you a little secret, your mental health is as important as your physical health, and that is why you get leave time. Plus, if you manager is as happy with your work as you state then he wouldn't want to lose you because you get burnt out.
M Elizabeth Ingram
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730
HR, administration, & benefits at work; mom of 2
02/24/20 at 4:43PM UTC
Vacation is there for a reason; you should take the time for you.

You're invited.

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