Employees need a vacation, it gives strength to perform new, more complex tasks. Paid leave is an important component for every employee. According to US Travel, vacation in America in 2014 is 16.2 days a year, in 1993 it was about 20 days. Americans are ready to take vacations on average up to 16.8 days a year.
In Europe, workers rest most of August. Americans break their days off for several days all year. But such a short vacation is not always useful. Part of the vacation goes to the destination and back, so there’s almost no time to rest. Below are tips to help you take a few days off, even if the boss is against.
Frank conversation with the boss
Find out what is expected of you. When Granny founded VitalSmarts, he knew that he and his three co-founders would strive to be the ones who work the most. “We did not want this, so we had a frank conversation at an early stage,” said Granny. Check with your supervisor how much free time employees have and whether or not they need to respond to emails while they are missing.
Make sure the company’s expectations
Many employees take less free time because they think this is the norm, and as a result they skip vacation days. "Find out what is expected of you compared to others," Granny said. - If you do not allow colleagues to express this explicitly to you. And in the end, you get fewer benefits than you could.
Ask questions
Ask general questions about vacation time when applying for a job. This will help when the time comes to ask for a vacation. Do not be afraid to ask about its duration, payment, abuse, non-use, etc. Forewarned is forearmed.
Follow the rules
Follow the rules - find out the right time and place for the PTO request. "See what the rules are for others," Granny said. - What rhythms do they use? What is the length of leave? How much time does it take? ”It is important to understand what boundaries at the workplace are respected when employees are away from home. "Were they really absent or wasting time on conference calls and short tasks?"
Earn social capital
Make sure that you have earned a vacation. "So, if you ask to leave for a month, you should expect that there will be a refusal. The first thing to demonstrate is that you care about problems in the workplace. And as soon as you do this, you have a chance. ”
The company wants you to take a day off
Americans get more and more days off every year. Granny says there is no need to leave your vacation intact. “I think colleagues want you to recharge,” he said. - People recognize that for many of us, work is 24 hours a day. Therefore, when we are away, we need to rest. ”
Do not drive yourself
The dangers of compliance, where workers are resting less and less, thinking that they benefit the company, Grenny called “a race to the bottom.” “Many senior executives understand that you need to have periods to be distracted and regain strength,” he said.
“People act on the basis of perceived rather than actual norms.”