It's time for the great "vacay" debate! It's become an annual event; August, the start of the European "holiday" season brings out posts/articles/comments centered around the European version of vacation vs the USA version of vacation.
Fun fact: the US government has no mandate regarding paid vacation. It’s seen as a perk not a requirement.
On the other hand, Denmark gets 25-30 days, Poland 20-26, the UK 20, Australia 20. These are mandated days. Required PTO days.
When these facts are posted on Linked In, they tend to get blasted, so, let’s go through some of the arguments I’ve seen:
“Then Move There!”
One of my favorite (that was written in the sarcastic-font) arguments against mandated PTO is “if you like the European version so much…move there.” Keep in mind, Linked In is an alleged “professional” social networking site. And yet, this retort sounds like something a six-year-old would come up with.
Do we Americans possess such a fragile ego that we can’t look to what other nations are doing and find ways to improve our own work based on other examples?
The other argument tossed out is “well, Europe’s economy is bad, so, if you want to crush our economy, then require companies give vacation time.” Sigh. Again, childish, similar to saying “well, Alaska’s unemployment rate in 2018 was 7.3%, so the US economy is clearly bad.” Are there pockets of “bad” in the European Union…sure. But there are also pockets of “great.”
“I’m A Small Business Owner”
Another frequent argument seen is from the small business owner who will “go out of business” if he (or she) offers paid time off. Look, I don’t want to disparage against the courageous folks who hang their own shingle. But at the same time, if you don’t offer PTO while simultaneously complaining that you can’t find “good employees…” connect the dots.
Small business owners are quick to point out that their employees “don’t work as hard as me (the owner)…” yet, those same employees are paid minimum wage, with little to no benefits and are given no equity. The question back to the owner “why do you expect them to work as hard as you?!” You, Mr. Small Business Owner, get 100% of the reward if your venture is successful, so, yes, it is in your best interest to work insane hours. What do your employees get if they work insane hours and you become super successful? No benefits. No PTO.
Minimum wage.
“They get a job” is the usual, angry retort. I’ve been saying this for a while, so, one more time for the people in the back: you aren’t doing people a “favor” by giving them a job! You are creating a symbiotic relationship in which everyone (allegedly) benefits. You get needed skills and labor, they receive compensation. If you want to attract better skills…you must up the compensation (whether through cash, equity, benefits or culture). Simple as that.
By the way, if offering a week of PTO will put you out of business? Your business is already in trouble and it’s not the PTO that you should be worried about.
“I Love My Job”
Ah. Another classic. It’s the “hey, look at me” comment. The alpha-wanna-be-rock-star-ninja.
These are the workers who claim that “vacation” isn’t necessary if you love your job. That “every day” is a vacation when you love your customers. I’m relatively sure that this is posted on Linked In with the sole purpose of self-promotion; that 99 out of 100 times it’s not a legitimate thought.
But let's pretend that it's a true statement. Loving a job doesn’t mean that you don’t need time to rest, recover and re-energize yourself, in fact, the opposite is true. If you truly love your job…you’re likely giving it your all day-in and day-out. Meaning, you, of all people, need to re-charge at some point.
But beyond that, there’s one universal truth as to why we need PTO: you only live once.
You get one lifetime to experience as much as you can. I’m not telling you that we should chuck it all and spend every hour on “vacation time.” However, skipping out on time off and working versus being with your friends, family and loved ones isn’t showing dedication to an employer…it’s just sad. Truly sad. The day you die…your employer will task someone in HR to post your position. They will fill it sooner rather than later.
Vacation time is necessary; for our health, our well-being, our families and even for our professions. A re-charged, well-rested you will perform better than the version of you who hasn’t had a day off in the last three years. So, if you have PTO…take it. If you don’t? Start looking for a company that offers PTO as a benefit and then use it.
What's that? Can't afford to go anywhere? Don't under-estimate the value of going to the library, finding a book and curling up on the couch at home for a few days while reading and sipping on a mug of tea; or taking the kids to the zoo. But take your time. You (and your employer) will thank yourself!
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