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Use All Your Vacation Days, Even If It Means Making Less Money

Last week, we linked to this WSJ article about how some companies are getting their employees to take time off by paying them. The mere idea of this is ludicrous, but this is America and if there's one surefire way to get Americans to do something, including use paid time-off that's part of their benefits package, it's to throw money at them.

This morning I came across this a post from the Harvard Business Review that quotes an excerpt of the Journal article that I previously looked over. The title is Sometimes, Employees Are Right to Worry About Taking Vacation

According to one study, 13% of managers are less likely to promote workers who take all of their vacation time; according to another, employees who take less than their full vacations earn 2.8% more in the subsequent year than their peers who took all of their allotted days, reports the Wall Street Journal. Thus it’s not surprising that 15% of U.S. employees who are entitled to paid vacation time haven’t used any of it in the past year.

NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. Incorrect. False. Poppycock. Balderdash. LIES. No one needs to worry about taking vacation.

Here's the correct answer: take all your vacation. If NOT taking all your vacation means 3% more in pay next year, then FUCK THAT. Whether you go to Europe or spend a staycation catching up on Game of Thrones, it does not matter. That 1 or 2 or 5 or 10 days that you didn't take are far more valuable than 2.8 percent in earnings. I know you are numbers people, but I also know you should be able to to appreciate the value of NOT WORKING and taking some time for yourself.

And those 13% of managers who are less likely to promote workers who take all their vacation time? I've got news for you — those assholes aren't going to promote you if don't take all your vacation time. Any manager who bases a promotion upon whether someone takes vacation or not is a terrible manager and should be put on permanent vacation and never allowed to work anywhere again. 

There's just over a week left in August. If you haven't taken any time off this month, schedule it now. Extend your Labor Day weekend by all of next week. Use our vacation, people. Even if it means you won't make as much money next year. You're stupid not to.

Sometimes, Employees Are Right to Worry About Taking Vacation [HBR]
Companies Deal With Employees Who Refuse to Take Time Off by Requiring Vacations, Paying Them to Go [WSJ]