Poll What about... Vacation?

[John Clark]

We get twenty five days, but some of those must be saved for the period between Christmas and New Year. For the rest, I usually take a couple of weeks in April/May and then another in September. I generally go somewhere warmer (though at those times, it's not too hot thanfully).

My longest vacaction was for about twenty days in one go a few years back when I did a US roadtrip with a couple of friends.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

most people here go on a vacation in summer during the school holidays and a short skiing vacation in winter. I don't stick to that schedule due to my job. I'm very busy from snow melting to early December, so I can only afford a very short vacation in summer. To make up for it I take 3-4 weeks around Christmas. It comes handy with all the cookie baking =)
I have 30 days per year which is the average in Germany

 

[bbjeg]

My jobs are seasonal so I'm usually free in the summer and winter but my "vacations" generally contain more work. For instance, I'm currently working at the BFC in Montana but also enjoying the scenery that I don't get back in Baltimore MD.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

best of both worlds?
My vacations tend to be work, too - my parents are too old for the heavy garden work and so I usually spend my summer vacation harvesting redcurrants and raspberries and I drop by for a long weekend about once a month to do everything that involves heavy lifting or crawling around.

 

[Evil Robert]

I just came back from six weeks in America.

Personally prefer to take my holidays during the Australian winter, thus I can go somewhere warmer and escape the cold. Saying that I am going to Europe for Christmas, so I'll be swapping warm for cold! But I still plan to take some leave next year during the southern winter/northern Summer. I am thinking of going to Germany both times.

It is rather interesting to see how Vacations are views in America vs Australia.

Four weeks off, three weeks sick leave (both of which roll over if I want to hoarde my leave for a bigger holiday), a couple of company days, plus public holidays and I am also close to hitting long service (12 weeks extra landing in my account). Other then company days, this is the standard minimum by law across the board in Oz. My US friends couldn't believe that when I explained to them the minimum standard, as required by law.

My shortest amount of vacay in the last 8 years was last year, when I only took three weeks (but not all at once), because I was saving leave up for a bigger holiday this year.

I don't think I could move back to the States and be lucky to get two weeks only.

Everybody in my workplace, top to down, share there holiday stories and often help and give suggestions. Talking and planning holidays is the one thing that often unites the office!

In Australia, big holidays of 3-6 weeks if going overseas is very common (basically we're at the arse end of the world - it takes 24 hours to fly to Europe and at least 14 hours to the West Coast of America - so you might as well make it worth it). Saying that 2 weeks is more coming if going to South East Asia or New Zealand (as it is much sorter travelling times).

I envy Europe sometimes, you fly four hours and you've passed over 40 different countries and hundreds of different cultures and cities and experiences. I fly four hours... I am lucky to have made it to Darwin... :/

As for taking long vacations when I am one of two people that can do my job? I don't care. In Australia holidays are viewed as a way to recharge your batteries, if you don't take them, how can you remain motivated? If the company cannot backfill my roll when I am away, that is not my problem. I live my life for me, not my job. My company will start poking people to take annual leave around if you have at least six weeks in the kitty.

 

[Evil Robert]

best of both worlds?
My vacations tend to be work, too - my parents are too old for the heavy garden work and so I usually spend my summer vacation harvesting redcurrants and raspberries and I drop by for a long weekend about once a month to do everything that involves heavy lifting or crawling around.

I know have the picture of you frolicking through the fields in lederhosen and braids, skipping and picking raspberries and redcurrents

 

[rhubarbodendron]

ROTF! Naaah. Lederhosen are male Upper Bavarian apparel. I'm a female Upper Palatinatian.
Usually you'll find me wearing patched jeans and a t-shirt and if it's a very hot day I'll wear my Chinese bamboo hat.
Braids - well, yes, occasionally. More often just a ponytail.

Loooong time no see, btw. Where have you been hiding all this time? Everything ok with you and yours?
Vacations in Europe are awfully expensive. It'd be cool, though, to have you over here! Just gimme a ring when you are in the vicinity and I'll show you the interesting stuff your ordinary tourist doesn't get to see =) Working for the government has its advantages, contact- and favour-wise

 

[Spot's Meow]

As for taking long vacations when I am one of two people that can do my job? I don't care. In Australia holidays are viewed as a way to recharge your batteries, if you don't take them, how can you remain motivated? If the company cannot backfill my roll when I am away, that is not my problem. I live my life for me, not my job.

I feel similarly, but unfortunately (at least in the jobs I've been at), you have to pay the consequences once you get back to work. Since no one is there to take over the work while you're gone, once you get back you are faced with a huge pile of work that has now become "urgent" (in the opinion of those who want their piece done, of course!). So now you have your regular workload, the workload you must catch up on, and those around you wanting it done NOW. I don't let this deter me from taking vacation, I have no problem telling people no and that I will get to it when I can, but many around me don't seem capable of that. They feel like if they have to take longer on some things or have to tell people no, that they have failed personally. These are the same people who skip lunch breaks and stay late because they feel like they have to respond to everything and don't want to let anyone down. I just don't take my work that personally, thank goodness. It seems like a very stressful way to live.

It also helps that I have an awesome boss who understands that I need time to catch up and will always back me up if I have to tell someone that I can't get to their urgent request right away. Unfortunately, others in my office don't have such luck and I have seen their bosses pounce on them the moment they are back from vacation to tell them how important it is for them to get it all done right now.

Maybe it has to do with the field I'm in (personnel)? Other people's jobs depend on my job, so it's hard not to care or to just let something go, when I know that it directly impacts another person's livelihood. Or maybe I just work in a crazy busy office with lots of type A personalities. But I work in the public sector, so I can't imagine it gets much better in the private sector!

 

[Naira]

So now you have your regular workload, the workload you must catch up on, and those around you wanting it done NOW

Same here, but then again, work is always there and there is always plenty of it.

I am lucky enough to be able to switch my own personal mood from "work status" to "vacation status" and not worry about work while I'm gone, but there are plenty of co-workers who cannot do this and call back at the office while they are gone with ideas about various issues.

 

[JoeZhang]

I'm an academic - contrary to popular belief, here in the UK I take holidays like anyone other employee - it's just that they cluster in the summer.

This year - New York for a week earlier in the year, next week, Whitby for a week and then Greece in September. Excluding when the University is shut and bank holidays, I get about 40 days a year.

As for workload, I just deleted all the emails I got when I was away. Anything important, you get sent again.