Work: The vacation dilemma

last updated 8 January 2015

It’s time U.S. companies revamped their old-school vacation policies, said Dharmesh Shah in NYTimes.com. The current approach is “predicated on the notions that your work happens in the office, your life happens at home, and vacation is an escape from the daily stresses in both of those places.” But such a one-size-fits-all policy no longer makes much sense. Enforcing rigid vacation rules “takes time, energy, and money” that employers could better spend elsewhere. “I’d rather have my most talented employees working on innovations that improve my company’s core business than spending valuable time and energy micromanaging their vacation time to fit an archaic policy.” Companies would do well to adopt unlimited vacation policies, on the principle that an employee should no more need permission to take time off than to “pursue a brilliant idea.” The privilege won’t be abused if you “hire employees who expect and deserve your trust.”

Nice idea, but employees should know the rules that still hold in the real world, said Lynze Wardle Lenio in TheDailyMuse.com. If you’ve just started a new job, for example, avoid asking for any time off for at least three months. After that, “it’s usually acceptable to ask for one day off for every month you’ve worked.” If you’re still getting acclimated to the job, discuss your vacation plans with co-workers and your boss so you don’t inadvertently take off during the company’s busy season. And it’s a good idea to have a chat with your manager in advance about how connected he expects you to be while on vacation. “Does he want a quick update on the status of all your projects before you head out of the office? Will you need to check your email on a regular basis or just provide your boss with a way to reach you if any work-related emergencies arise?” It’s best to know these things beforehand.

If you can’t completely unplug, at least maximize your productivity so you won’t ruin your vacation, said Keenan Mayo in Businessweek.com. Start by making a list of things you must do and things that can wait until you’re back in the office. Try to carve out time to work rather than having it be a constant presence on vacation—if you’re traveling with someone, try to schedule your work activity at times least likely to cause irritation and exasperation. One way to do that is to be ready to “take advantage of unexpected down time,” such as plane delays. Those empty hours are ideal for catching up on work that can’t wait.