New Wave Outpost Forum

Which of the following most accurately describes your point of view ?

1. take off as many days as possible, as many as I can get away with--and then some.

2. take off all days that are given to me.

3. take off days here and there, as needed.

4. rarely ever take a day off work.

5. can't think of the last day I ever took off of work.

I'm a bit of a workaholic. I love my job. I never take days off. Arranging for a sub is a ton of work, then preparing my classroom & lesson plans takes fordarnever. It's more work than it's worth.
But--I'm thinking of taking a Personal day off this Fall, Nov. 5th, the day after Election Day. I figure I'm either gonna be happily hungover headachy from all my celebratory drinking Election Night, or either I'll have shot myself if it's not a celebratory outcome. Either way, I'll be useless 11/5.
So I have to file paperwork. I don't think I've arranged to take a Personal day before (we get 2 a year). I am strangely apprehensive, yet giddy. I have a teacher acquaintance (not at my school) who constantly takes days off. He figures as long as you have all those allowable says, why not take them ?

So what kind of work ethic do you guys have ?

Interesting question. I definitely fall into category 2. If I have 3 weeks vacation, I'll take it, though I often have to carry it over to the following year depending on what I have on my plate. That is my decision. I never get denied a request but I manage it based on what makes sense for myself and the company.

I am a workaholic too. I take pride in what I do and I know my value to the company. I like spearheading the march towards success but don't mind being the worker bee on a colleague's project either. I'm a self-driven team player.

Right now, I don't love my employer very much. Too many changes in ownership and too few people pulling their weight. I am searching elsewhere.

I am jealous that you love your job, KYYX4ever. I do have some questions for you.
As a teacher, are you off during the summer months?
Does this influence your feelings about time off?
Can you get paid for any unused time at some point in the future?

My wife is a teacher's aide and the answer to all three questions for her is yes. She may take one day off each school year and it is always for something important like a doctor's appointment that cannot be made for any other time. And, yes...she, too, loves her job. There's probably no more rewarding job than working with young minds, no matter how hard it can be at times (which, it no doubt is).

I think that the answer to the third question plays a huge role in how people will describe their point of view on time off.

Oh...and for the record, of course you should take off November 5th! You've earned it and you shouldn't feel any guilt about taking the day!


We didn't sell a lot of records, but somehow we left an impression.
-Johnny Ramone-

I hardly ever take off. I get tons of vacation days and end up losing them. First I love my job, second nobody can fill my shoes and do a decent job...or at least not make things worse for me when I get back, third my day is over around 2 pm so it is a quick day anyway.




Worlds GREATEST Photographer!

thank you club80.[:)]

You know, as I typed that, I thought to myself "well duh, I have summers off", and yes, I guess that really colors my view of time off. Why take days off if you get summers off ? I don't know as well as I should about the district's policies re: accrued time. I think you lose your personal days at the end of each year. And I think sick leave also gets lost, but maybe every 2 years. There was some fuss b/c it was a "tradition" that teachers in their last year before retirement would use up all their sick leave their final year, and were absent all the time.

But any previous jobs I've ever had, I can't even think when I took time off. Alaska fishery, college library, roasting coffee, teaching overseas....

[quote][i]Originally posted by KYYX4ever[/i]
<br>thank you club80.[:)]

You know, as I typed that, I thought to myself "well duh, I have summers off", and yes, I guess that really colors my view of time off. Why take days off if you get summers off ? I don't know as well as I should about the district's policies re: accrued time. I think you lose your personal days at the end of each year. And I think sick leave also gets lost, but maybe every 2 years. There was some fuss b/c it was a "tradition" that teachers in their last year before retirement would use up all their sick leave their final year, and were absent all the time.

But any previous jobs I've ever had, I can't even think when I took time off. Alaska fishery, college library, roasting coffee, teaching overseas....
[/quote]

I disagree with a teacher using up all of their time the last year. That sells the kids short quite a bit. I would hope that the district offers some sort of incentive NOT to do that!


We didn't sell a lot of records, but somehow we left an impression.
-Johnny Ramone-

[quote][i]Originally posted by phillyidol[/i]
<br>I hardly ever take off. I get tons of vacation days and end up losing them. First I love my job, second nobody can fill my shoes and do a decent job...or at least not make things worse for me when I get back, third my day is over around 2 pm so it is a quick day anyway.




Worlds GREATEST Photographer!
[/quote]

I'd would have thought that saving the world was a 24 hour job, philly!


We didn't sell a lot of records, but somehow we left an impression.
-Johnny Ramone-

When I worked for other people, I rarely used my time off. It just seemed like all the work I had to do before and afterward ruined any potential fun I might get to have while off. It was like I needed a vacation to recover from all the work my original time off caused, if that makes sense!

I'm in the midst of six consecutive weeks off. Not by choice though, I work at the Kentucky Truck Plant where the bigger F Series and Super Duty are built. They are getting ready to layoff another 300 soon plus they showed about 50 supervisors the door last week. Sales are in the shitter with the rising fuel prices.

[quote][i]Originally posted by birdmadgirl[/i]
<br>When I worked for other people, I rarely used my time off. It just seemed like all the work I had to do before and afterward ruined any potential fun I might get to have while off. It was like I needed a vacation to recover from all the work my original time off caused, if that makes sense!
[/quote]

It really does! I usually work about 70 hours a week for the two weeks preceding any lengthy amount of time I take. I want to prep everyone for what needs to be accomplished while I'm gone and I don't want anything left undone before I go. When I return, I usually find significant progress made towards what I had set up, but rarely any start to anything that springs up while I'm gone. The stress comes back just hours into my return!


We didn't sell a lot of records, but somehow we left an impression.
-Johnny Ramone-

I get 7 weeks vacation annually, and usually only take 3-4. I keep a balance of about 360 hours (my max I can carry) and usually sell about 100 hours back every year. I like the amount of time I get, but for me, 4 weeks off each year works well, and since they will buy back my extra at 100%, I just sell back. I always maintain close to 9 weeks on balance if ever needed, just hours I've accumulated over the years. Though next year when I head to Alaska for a month, I will not be selling back any hours.

I wish we had buy back. I work for a govt. agency and we can only have 2 weeks left over at july 1. I am losing about a week and a half this year.




Worlds GREATEST Photographer!

I thought I was the only one I knew who had to burn vacation. My employer does not have a "buy-back" program and I end up burning about 1 week/yr.

Ahh for the good old days of the "two week summer vacation"

<p align="justify">I use it at different times. Example: I take off all Fridays for a certain month, or I leave early/come in late for two weeks. That sort of thing. At the office I work at, half the staff are females and they take off all the time, sometimes for a month. This besides maternity leave. Usually what happens is they get pregnant, they get to do light work for the time being, then they take off for maternity leave, then they apply for their vacation, and then they quit. Meanwhile, there are poor saps that get to do all that leftover work - like me[}:)]

[quote][i]Originally posted by CounterCircular[/i]
<br>I get 7 weeks vacation annually, and usually only take 3-4. I keep a balance of about 360 hours (my max I can carry) and usually sell about 100 hours back every year. I like the amount of time I get, but for me, 4 weeks off each year works well, and since they will buy back my extra at 100%, I just sell back. I always maintain close to 9 weeks on balance if ever needed, just hours I've accumulated over the years. Though next year when I head to Alaska for a month, I will not be selling back any hours.
[/quote]

I'd say you're pretty fortunate. Not many companies offer buyback.


We didn't sell a lot of records, but somehow we left an impression.
-Johnny Ramone-

They slashed our 3 weeks vacations back to 2 so I lost a week. That's maximum no matter how long you have been there (15 years for me).

I fall under number 2. I like my job, nobody does what I do there so taking time off means that I have a ton of work to do when I get back. What I like to do is stretch out holidays like this 4th. I get the 4th off and I won't be back until the 9th (the 8th is my birthday).