That's the problem with this country, work, work, work! It's a wonder why so many people are stressed and depressed, and in poor health, because they are not taking time for themselves. It’s not just the obesity problem this country has, but too many people are working too many hours! I’m sure we all appreciate a hard worker but there are so many people who don't know what work/life balance is. I work for a large corporation and they offer paid time off in addition to 3 weeks of vacation (you have more paid vacation days depending on length of service). You best believe I take ALL my vacation days, and sometimes I purchase a few more days off. You need that break from work! Life is too short to stress over work!! We understand that a lot of companies are downsizing, cutting back, etc, because of the economic conditions, but in no way that should mean someone should give up vacation or not take time off because of things you can't control! (economic conditions, company issues, etc). Be grateful you have a job yes, and do the best that you can at it, but remember you have a life, take time for yourself and your family! You will appreciate it and your family will! It will make you very relaxed when you go back to work!

If you own your own business, now it's understandable that you cannot take vacation days, depending on what kind of business you have. Live life people! Your body, mind and soul will appreciate some time off every once in a while! This country needs to adopt ‘Siestas”..like Spain : )

 

 

"Work is my life."????

 

I have heard too many people saying stuff like this.  Work is NOT my life.  Work is how I pay for my life.

Work like the devil, never take a day off, pop a vein and have a stroke.  Everyone feels sorry for you, but you are replaced and life moves on without you.  Everyone says "you should have taken your time off."

 

Take your time off (that was given to you by the company), return to work, find yourself replaced or downgraded, complain about it and get fired or forced to quit.  Everyone says "you should have been more careful in this economy."

 

Choices.  Responsibility.  Crap shoot.  Guesswork.  Health.  Peace of mind.

 

How did it all get this crazy?  I do not know.

 

I take my time off for a change of pace and to feel refreshed, but also realize others cannot or will not dare to take time.  The workplace is a battlefield with potentially hidden land mines for no reasons whatsoever.

 

Good luck to all as I have no answers and am not qualified to give advice.

 

 

 

 

Just how Congress and big business want things. Companies laying off people at the drop of a hat and the people left behind doing their work and who knows how many other peoples work. Meanwhile the CEO is looking for a new jet or plane and is using all of his work days as vacation days along with upper management. They contribute oodles to Congress and Congress is at their beckon call while the naive American worker continues to slave away and not take vacation. Wake up Americans and DEMAND more from these crooked companies and most of all from your worthless Congress.

As a small business owner, vacation is not an option for me.  Just getting a Saturday or Sunday off here and there is a treat.  But I make my employees take every bit of their vacation each year, and I encourage them to use it in at least 2 day blocks, and not just a half days.  Though they grouse and fret that work will go undone while they're away, when they come back they're always cheerier and more productive.

I think that somewhere between the workaholics here in the States and the layabouts in Europe there's a happy medium as far as the amount of vacation time.

There is nothing like conditioning people to a future of no vacations, benefits, or wage increases. After all to complain about the free loaders on the top who make record profits and are unwilling to share any of their gains over the past 30 years might get you the label of Socialist. How dare anyone criticize our society which serves the interests of the wealthiest few only while the masses suffer the consequences of their unbridled greed.

I get 3 weeks vacation a year after 6 years here. I can take it, but the peojects don't stop when I'm gone. when I return to work I end up working 60 hour weeks until everything is caught up, so the time off versus the extra work hours is a wash. And, yes, I'm salaried.

When one is interviewed for a position, there is a big deal about all the benefits one will receive and how generous the employer is and how great it is to work for this employer. After hiring, reality sets in. Yes, you accrue benefit time, but .... Vacation time - who will cover you and do your work since we are already short handed? Do you really know how inconvenient it is for you to take that time off then? Don't you feel guilty leaving the company in such a lurch? But then there is nothing like sick time - take it and lose your job !!  Obviously, the whole benefit game is just a hoax to get good, hard workers - then once gotten - who cares what they want !!  Its all about corporate earnings and an extra $34.3 billion lining their pockets. 

The article does not mention vacation days that are allowed to roll to future years. In this era of "one life, many jobs," it's a good idea to stockpile as many weeks of vacation hours as possible - whatever a company will allow - for inclusion in the separation package.

I used to leave vacation days on the table, but never again.  I work for an old-fashioned southern company (and I'm NOT southern) who bend over backwards to let the married guys with children take their vacation at peak periods.  Last year upper management also granted 2 extra weeks of vacation days to a co-worker because his wife went to prison for embezzlement and he wanted to spend more time with his kids.  He also showed up late and left early nearly every day because he was upset about his wife and didn't feel like working.  Because I'm a single woman with no children, I was expected to pick up all of his slack and forfeit my vacation time since, you know, I have nothing better to do than work.

 

This year, I'm using every single one of the 20 vacation days I've been granted, and I'm not touching the slacker co-worker with the jailbird wife's files.