I took my “summer vacation” in May this year, to coincide with traveling east for my son’s college graduation. We tend to go fairly early anyway, since my husband doesn’t handle heat very well and isn’t up for much activity by mid-summer. The kids took their vacation with their mom this year – it was her turn. But next year it’s ours, and Tall Paul is already planning a road trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for mid-June, right after school gets out. I’m a little worried about taking that much time off, though – and if I’m reading these things right, I’m clearly not alone.
Now that August is here, though, and school will be starting in a few weeks for a lot of families (!), vacation time has arrived for the many people who haven’t gotten around to going yet. But according to this article from the Boston Globe, it may be the wave of the future not to get around to taking vacation at all, or just going for short breaks and extended weekends. I think this is definitely a trend, but not necessarily because it’s what people really want; a lot of us just don’t feel like it’s OK to be away from work for more than a few days…but thanks to laptops and smart phones, we don’t even really have to be.
“The fear people have in the US is that they’ll miss something important, so the next time there’s layoffs they’ll be first in line,” says John Schmitt, a senior economist with the Washington-based policy research center. Many people use vacation days just to manage their lives, he notes. A day here goes for a funeral, a day there is used for a child’s illness.
True, but although those activities use your vacation time, they’re not vacations.
UPDATED for this one – Maybe another reason for not taking vacations is that they’re too much work in themselves, suggests the Working Girl.
Nancy Loderick commented on the Globe article on the Downtown Women’s Club blog, and brought up some of the ways that vacations and breaks actually help you work better:
…I (also) think this trend is a very sad commentary on our society. No wonder America is falling behind in productivity. How can people be effective if they are afraid to take time off? No one, no matter how competent, can sustain productivity without a break.I…make sure to take breaks, whether it’s long weekends or even a few weeks off at several points during the year. I consider these breaks just as, if not more, important than my work…I am using my mind in new ways, which helps the ideas flow. My most creative and productive ideas come to me during my breaks, not during one of my intense work phases.
It’s not that American families wouldn’t like to park the kids beachside or in a mountain cabin for a couple of fortnights. It’s just another example of how we haven’t yet figured out how to view people as more than money-making commodities.
To many businesses, there is no value in workers who are relaxed and rejuvenated. Just keep the cogs in the wheels moving. And it occurred to me that it’s the same story no matter what kind of time off employees want or need. Just as employers don’t view parents who take time off for sick children or school plays as committed as those who don’t, they also don’t look kindly on those who think that paid vacation days are actually there to be used. (snip)
It’s even worse now, with those electronic umbilical cords we all can’t seem to function without. We’re never more than a couple clicks away, even when we’re on another continent.
Meanwhile, Cindy Goodman reports that her employer, The Miami Herald, is offering all of their employees an extra day off this year if they want it – the catch is that it will be unpaid. That makes the choice just a bit tougher for the employee who might literally not be able to afford it.
Remember when “vacation” was all the Go-Go’s wanted?
Great round-up of vacation commentary in the news! People may not be taking vacation, but at least they’re writing about it.
One thing I noticed while living in France: yes, they definitely do love their vacations. People who don’t take time off are even sort of looked down upon.
But when the French are at work, they are really working! At least this is what I noticed in the workplaces I spent time in. No chatting in the hallways, no lollygagging–they work intently during workhours (although I’m sure there are plenty of exceptions) and then absolutely do not think about work at all on evenings, weekends, and vacations.
Discussing what you do at parties or other social events is also considered very bad form.
Oh, and thanks for the link!
Karen (Working Girl) – thanks for the feedback. We Americans are all about the work, I guess, or at least making it look like we are. So we write about vacations we’re not taking.
Our “vacation” this year was definitely more of an extended long weekend. Hubby couldn’t arrange the time off because everyone else at his firm had already booked the first two weeks of August. I’m hoping that bodes well for the future – there is definitely a culture there of using up those vacation days to the hilt.
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Bubandpie – My husband has already turned in his vacation request for the road trip we’re planning next June, after the school year that doesn’t start for another two weeks is over, just to make sure he can get the time! Popular vacation periods do seem to get claimed quickly, but I notice people spreading the time out more rather than taking big chunks of a week or more.
Florinda,
Thanks so much for mentioning my vacation post and the link back to the DowntownWomensClub.com blog in your entry. I appreciate the feedback.
Nancy Loderick
Nancy – You’re quite welcome. I’m not a DWC member, but I frequent the blog and I like what you’re doing over there. And your vacation post added to the discussion, so I’m glad you didn’t mind my quoting it!