Long Weekend: a Dilemma

[RoJoHen]

Howdy.

Here's the situation--

I recently found out that I have about 13 vacation days to use up before the end of the year. They go away January 1st if I don't use them. This weekend is Labor Day Weekend, so I already get a 3-day weekend. I have decided that I want to also use one of my vacation days next week; I'm just not sure which day.

My two options:

1) Use it Tuesday (the day after Labor Day) to give myself a 4-day weekend

OR

2) Use it next Friday (the 9th), to give myself two 3-day weekends in a row.

I don't really have any plans for any of this time off, nor do I have the money to make plans; I just want to use a vacation day because, well, I have them to use. So, of those two options, what would you do?

 

[Spot's Meow]

I would take the two 3 day weekends. I say this because when I am off work for longer than 3 days (like a 4 day weekend) I start to get way too lethargic and have a difficult time adjusting back to work life the first day that I have to go back. A 3 day weekend is the perfect length of time though, longer than the regular time off, but short enough that you feel refreshed and ready when going back to work.

 

[RoJoHen]

I do not disagree. Long weekends definitely make it harder to go back to work the following week.

My main reason for considering the 4-day weekend is that my mom has been kind of bugging me to come home for the holiday weekend. While I have no problem doing this, when I get back here, I kind of still want to have a full weekend to myself. So if I'm out of town Sat-Sun, I can still enjoy Mon-Tues for myself.

I am secretly debating being really ridiculous and taking both days off to give myself a 4-day weekend, two days of work, then another 3-day weekend. There's really no reason I couldn't; it just seems a little absurd.

 

[TorontoTrekker]

You could add it to this weekend and fly to Atlanta to join the rest of us who are going to be at Dragon*Con...

 

[Spot's Meow]

I do not disagree. Long weekends definitely make it harder to go back to work the following week.

My main reason for considering the 4-day weekend is that my mom has been kind of bugging me to come home for the holiday weekend. While I have no problem doing this, when I get back here, I kind of still want to have a full weekend to myself. So if I'm out of town Sat-Sun, I can still enjoy Mon-Tues for myself.

I am secretly debating being really ridiculous and taking both days off to give myself a 4-day weekend, two days of work, then another 3-day weekend. There's really no reason I couldn't; it just seems a little absurd.

Good points. I do think though, that you can achieve your goals with the two 3 day weekends. One of those could be spent at your mom's house, with an extra day for yourself when you get back, and another whole 3 day weekend to yourself a week later.

Either way, you're lucky, enjoy your time off!

 

[RoJoHen]

Either way, you're lucky, enjoy your time off!

I know. I've never had a job with paid vacation days before. I've also never had a salary before. This whole thing feels very odd.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I have 4 vacation days after labor day to make a 9 day weekend out of it. First time I've had that many off in a row in the 7 years I've been here.

Still have 9 days to use after that, probably gonna have a lot of 3 day weekends to end the year.

 

[SPOCKED]

Since I took last Friday off, I'm enjoying two 3-day weekends in a row. To me, its the far better option. I'm going to take Friday 21 October off as well for another back-to-back long weekend after Columbus day

 

[Holdfast]

I am secretly debating being really ridiculous and taking both days off to give myself a 4-day weekend, two days of work, then another 3-day weekend. There's really no reason I couldn't; it just seems a little absurd.

Not absurd; that was going be exactly what I was going to recommend.

Before I quit my last job, I think I got 35 or 37 days annual leave, plus the statutory 8 or whatever Bank Holidays. Can't remember exactly, but it was around those figures, anyway. Quite often I used to break up weeks in exactly the way you're suggesting as it "felt" like much more time off than taking weeks off in blocks.

 

[auntiehill]

I would go for the two 3-day weekends. Spread out the days off, so you get two long weekends to look forward to, instead of just one extra long one.

 

[SmoothieX]

I always enjoy the random Wednesday off, really breaks up the week.

 

[SPOCKED]

I always enjoy the random Wednesday off, really breaks up the week.

Expect a visit from the vacation day police in the next week or so

 

[Gryffindorian]

Take the whole week off.

Two back-to-back long weekends sound better. As for me, my employer happens to observe Friday, September 9, as California Admission Day, so in any event, I'll be getting two long weekends in a row.

 

[Lindley]

I'm going to have to start using more vacation days for random stuff too it seems.....now that my company is being absorbed into Boeing, our vacation policy is changing from use-it-or-pay-out to use-it-or-lose-it.

 

[SmoothieX]

I always enjoy the random Wednesday off, really breaks up the week.

Expect a visit from the vacation day police in the next week or so

I'll be armed with flip flops and a cold lemonade.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

I'm going to have to start using more vacation days for random stuff too it seems.....now that my company is being absorbed into Boeing, our vacation policy is changing from use-it-or-pay-out to use-it-or-lose-it.

Welcome to the "absorbed-into-Boeing" club. My company got acquired by Boeing about a year ago. (Fortunately, I'm in CA, and a use-it-or-lose-it policy is illegal here.)

 

[doubleohfive]

Every weekend should be a three-day weekend.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I always enjoy the random Wednesday off, really breaks up the week.

Expect a visit from the vacation day police in the next week or so

I'll be armed with flip flops and a cold lemonade.

Taking a Wednesday off makes Thursday like a second Monday, and that's just wrong

 

[RoJoHen]

I actually don't mind Mondays. For some reason they tend to fly by.

Tuesdays, however, are easily the worst day of the week for me. They just draaaaaaaag.