Vacations: Why We Don’t Take What We’ve Got Coming

Why don’t we take all our vacation time? New York Times reporter Stephanie Rosenbloom wrote an article entitled, “Please Don’t Make Me Go On Vacation.”

Recently, I’ve seen no less than half a dozen articles on vacation time. Most cite how other countries, including China, provide substantially more time off than American society. But, as Ms. Rosenbloom reports, it may not be so much what employers will offer as it is what employees will take.

I confess I’m right at the top of the heap in not taking time off. It has caused me to consider just stepping away more from time to time. On average I probably take between 6-8 work days off. Sure, I slip out early sometimes. Or I come in late at other times. But there are also late evenings, early mornings, some weekends, and that’s not mentioning the work I take home.

How much time off do you take? If it’s not every bit of what you’ve got coming - why do you leave it on the table?

The irony is the timing of such discussions. Labor Day Weekend is upon us. Hope yours is safe and happy.