Are You Afraid To Take A Vacation?
Our no-vacation nation, and what we can learn
from the rest of the world.
Are we trying to impress our clients, customers, bosses and those we work with by limiting our vacation time?
"Employees have watched their colleagues get laid off, and they've read the unceasing reports of downsizing practically everywhere; as a result, many are too scared or feel too guilty to take their allotted vacation time. Instead of recharging in a hammock or at the beach, they're putting their heads down and concentrating on the heftier workload they've had since so many of their colleagues were let go - and they're hoping their bosses notice." This, from the article in Forbes.com by Tara Weiss.
Time off isn't just a luxury, it's a necessity.
If you find yourself doing more and not getting paid extra for it, time off isn't just a luxury, it's a necessity. Not taking enough time to recharge your batteries can be exhausting, which could lead to health problems and making mistakes.
But can you take a vacation and keep the guilt to a minimum? If you're like me, you don't start feeling totally relaxed until you've been out for a full week. If an extended vacation is not an option, healthcare experts say you should consider taking long weekends instead.
Set up a specific time to be available.
If you or your company doesn't like employees being totally cut off from the office, set up specific times to talk with your boss, team and clients, or answer emails. Mornings often make the most sense; you can do your conference call and then get on with your vacation. As for email, say in your out-of-office message when you'll be checking it each day.
Find someone on your team who can be the point person.
If you'll be away for a week or more, be sure to find someone on your team who can be the point person for questions on your jobs and projects. Offer to fill in for them when they go on vacation. Or delegate some tasks to junior members of your team. It's a good way to gain trust and give those people the responsibility that will prepare them for an eventual move up the ladder. Let your boss and other teammates know exactly who will handle what.
Avoid taking time off when your boss goes on vacation, since his or her absence can be an opportunity for you to shine. Meet with the boss beforehand and ask if there's anything you can take the lead on.
While you're away from the office, don't dwell on what's going on there.
"Be mentally disciplined, and stay focused on the vacation," says Baird Brightman, an organizational psychologist who is president of Worklife Strategies, in Sudbury, Mass. "When you start to obsess or worry about work, you need to say to yourself, 'My purpose now is to be on vacation.' Refocus your attention on the present.
How we compare to other countries.
When compared to all of the other rich countries that have about the same standard of living that we have, it's pretty standard for those nations to have 20 or 25 days of paid vacation each year. In England, they have 20 days; in France, 30 days; in Germany, 22 days; and in Italy, 22 days.
The U.S. is the only country to have zero. The average American has just nine days of vacation a year. One survey shows only 10% of us will take a full two-weeks off. As for part-time workers, only a third get any paid time off from their employers.
According to John Schmitt, an economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, "we have a tortured relationship with vacation even in the best of times." "And the recession has only made it worse."
What's more, he adds, "The bottom line is in Europe, people have smaller cars, but much bigger vacations. And in the United States, we have bigger cars, but much smaller vacations."
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