Ever take a two week vacation?

Yes, I work as a physician to fly-in remote communities. Typically one-week on, one week off. When you're off, you're totally off as other physicians are in the community and covering for you. Can usually pick one or two weeks a year to create a three-week vacation by having a locum doctor covering. It hurts the bottom line a bit but I value those 3-week vacations more than the extra money from that week of work.

I've taken a 3 week vacation only because I had the time and I still gave some time.

I work for myself and nope... not possible.

Long weekends at most.

I use to leave for months at a time when I was young..... now I feel guilty taking s long weekend.

I took a glorious two week honeymoon. We came back with the best souvenir ever, my first son. Other than that, in my 18 years of having (much more) than a "full time" job, I've never taken more than 5 days off in a row. The 5 days off I took was for the birth of my second son. Thankfully, the wife went in to labor Friday afternoon for both kids!

As the kids get older it looks like we will try to build week-long traditions with our vacations, but until the youngest hits college, more than a week will be impossible.

However, when I put that youngest son in his dorm during freshman orientation, all bets are off. We are gonna go HAM as the kids say. Only 14 more years!

Bean Towner wrote:

For everyone who can't possibly conceive of taking two weeks off I'm curious what you do for a job.

Obviously if you're in a temp-level position this is the case, and I understand people with cyclical one-person businesses being in this position, but it sounds like a lot of people think that what they're doing is more important than it actually is.

I think providing for my family is pretty darn important.

I've taken two weeks off for each of my two kids.

But that's not a vacation.

I did once, honeymoon. But wife and I have done multiple week long vacations and 10 day vacations .... teacher life!

Yes every year. I get 6 weeks paid time off per year.

1 week off is hardly a vacation. If you can't clear your schedule for two weeks you are a very inefficient employee. Two weeks is nothing.

Star wrote:

Have any of you taken a full two week vacation while working a full time job?

I mean actually going away and visiting some place or multiple places and coming back home two weeks later and then back to work.

I know I've never done done that.

I assume it's pretty rare.

Mostly it's hard to have your work covered for two straight weeks besides it being expensive to be way for that long.

I have not read the several pages of this thread but this is my take on this as an almost 50 year old white guy from the Northeast:

I never saw this (except for honeymoons where there was a lot of travel involved) until millennials entered the work force. Now I see it frequently, but only with certain millenials.

Lip Kitten wrote:

Star wrote:

Have any of you taken a full two week vacation while working a full time job?

I mean actually going away and visiting some place or multiple places and coming back home two weeks later and then back to work.

I know I've never done done that.

I assume it's pretty rare.

Mostly it's hard to have your work covered for two straight weeks besides it being expensive to be way for that long.

I have not read the several pages of this thread but this is my take on this as an almost 50 year old white guy from the Northeast:

I never saw this (except for honeymoons where there was a lot of travel involved) until millennials entered the work force. Now I see it frequently, but only with certain millenials.

Yeah that was the first time people had a life outside of the workplace...

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM wrote:

Yes every year. I get 6 weeks paid time off per year.

1 week off is hardly a vacation. If you can't clear your schedule for two weeks you are a very inefficient employee. Two weeks is nothing.

Yeah everyone has an important job that takes exactly 52 weeks to complete.

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM wrote:

If you can't clear your schedule for two weeks you are a very inefficient employee. Two weeks is nothing.

Some people work for smaller companies with thin staffs they rely on for everything.

In my case I'm the sole accountant.

The financials have to be reported on time every month at the beginning of the month. (Can't take off then)

I process payroll. I sign every check that goes out to pay vendors.

I did create a backup for payroll (an admin that can do it) and can process it remotely.

I can only stretch check runs so far apart regardless of efficiencies.

There are few people in production that work on specific areas that aren't covered by others and can't be completed or delivered while they are away and can't back up too much.

The customer wants something, it's hard to say wait two weeks for Bob to get back.

People have mentioned working for commission and the company needs to keep sales going to make payroll.

Can't go long without IT help without a big staff.

I do think that my company in particular needs deeper staffing for emergencies and to provide the ability to actually take the time off that they offer.

But they look at the profit line and keep staffing low.

The corporate profit motive is surely to blame here.

Beholden to the stock owners.

And larger companies staff similarly to make that bottom line.

When I was in the Army (30 days leave/year) I usually took two weeks off twice per year.

As a grown-up with an office job? bwaa ha ha ha!! I get 4 weeks per year, and have never used more than 5 days, always one at a time for long weekends. I haven't had an actual vacation in more than 20 years.

I guess it depends on your job. Retail, labor, factory, construction, customer service and other similar jobs would be easy.

If you have a professional career with clients who depend on you to get stuff done, then you simply can't afford to take two weeks off - work would get way too far behind and you would have to work 80-100 hours per week for 2 months to make up for the wasted vacation time.

Sumdude wrote:

When I was in the Army (30 days leave/year) I usually took two weeks off twice per year.

As a grown-up with an office job? bwaa ha ha ha!! I get 4 weeks per year, and have never used more than 5 days, always one at a time for long weekends. I haven't had an actual vacation in more than 20 years.

I guess it depends on your job. Retail, labor, factory, construction, customer service and other similar jobs would be easy.

If you have a professional career with clients who depend on you to get stuff done, then you simply can't afford to take two weeks off - work would get way too far behind and you would have to work 80-100 hours per week for 2 months to make up for the wasted vacation time.

Yet somehow the Germans are able to do it. Does anyone think the germans are sloppy, inefficient and irresponsible? Do they build crap products? Are they not reliable and organized?

it's just an american culture....kind of a fiction: face time = real productivity and effectiveness...I don't like it but this is where i live and work...i wish we would change

Sumdude: 'wasted vacation time'? Wtf wow.

Can't believe no one has posted this yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTRj-fp-bP0

Guarantee I could do in 30 hours what these corporate drones do in 80.

Tweedle wrote:

I took a glorious two week honeymoon. We came back with the best souvenir ever, my first son. Other than that, in my 18 years of having (much more) than a "full time" job, I've never taken more than 5 days off in a row. The 5 days off I took was for the birth of my second son. Thankfully, the wife went in to labor Friday afternoon for both kids!

As the kids get older it looks like we will try to build week-long traditions with our vacations, but until the youngest hits college, more than a week will be impossible.

However, when I put that youngest son in his dorm during freshman orientation, all bets are off. We are gonna go HAM as the kids say. Only 14 more years!

I realize that it's really job-dependant, but I can't imagine living with this mentality: that's it's IMPOSSIBLE for more than a week. My dad worked 80hrs a week (enterprise software business development) and still "escaped for 2-3 week vacations and other shorter ones each year. It was a challenge to "leave," but he made it happen.

I am the shining example of "those millenials" who maximize their time off and are always pushing the limits. I squeeze ever hour/day/week out of the potential and have quit prof jobs to make travel work. We plan trips well in advance, fly on miles, and end up spending about the same as we would at home, for the time we are abroad. I guess if travel/vacation is flights for four to Hawaii and 10 nights at a 4-star, then it's a hard pill to swallow. If you plan properly (shut off the netflix, tv...) you can create the same/better/more enriching experience for wayyy less cost. And by truly planning a trip ahead, you can communicate to co-workers, bosses, clients, etc whats coming up and it works out.

I have been going to Kenya for three weeks for the last ten years (Detheba). I will not be working for anyone anymore come august 15th, so that will be a month or so!