Brip Blap posts an interesting rumination on the question of why Americans tend not to take all the vacation time they’ve earned. I sure don’t: my most recent paycheck says I have 324 hours coming (with almost seven hours accumulating each pay period, that will come to more than 350 by the time the job ends), and I’ve used 138 hours so far this year.
Do you take all your vacation time? If not, why not?
Personally, I don’t because I get so much vacation time that if I took it all, no work would ever get done around that place. Or so I’d like to think. 😉
But the truth is, several factors come into play:
• The university will pay me for 176 hours at termination. I don’t want to accidentally eat into that time.
• I get a lot of holiday time anyway, as a state employee.
• My job allows me to telecommute. Cutting out that 44-mile round trip to campus is almost the same as a vacation.
• My house is every bit as nice as any resort, with lovely outdoor sitting areas (and indoor ones, too) and a beautiful pool. So most of the time I am on vacation, even when I’m working.
• There’s no one to take care of the house and the dog while I’m gone.
• I’m too cheap to spend money on hotels and restaurants.
• I’m not fond of camping.
• I don’t enjoy traveling alone and have no one to travel with.
• I hate eating out alone.
• I’ve already traveled plenty and, having seen quite a lot of the world, feel little need to see it again.
• And I really, really, really dislike airports and airplane travel.
Got any better excuses?