Is it rude to take 10 day vacations as an employee requiring backup coverage for work duties?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just took 2.5 weeks off. Yeah, I felt guilty, but I have the time. And I've already taken 2 other week long vacations this year. I figure if my boss doesn't want me to take the time off, she wouldn't approve it.

I bust my butt and pick up a lot of coverage when other people are out.

You're taking A LOT of vacation. You've taken off over a month, and we're only halfway through the year. That's a lot. Just FYI in case you're unaware, because you said your boss wouldn't approve it if it weren't ok. Don't be surprised if you get feedback at some point that you're taking too much leave.

I took a month off in June/August. On top of a week in April and a few days in January. I don’t consider that a lot. Just FYI in case you’re unaware. You don’t need some internet harridan to approve of how much leave you take, just your boss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just took 2.5 weeks off. Yeah, I felt guilty, but I have the time. And I've already taken 2 other week long vacations this year. I figure if my boss doesn't want me to take the time off, she wouldn't approve it.

I bust my butt and pick up a lot of coverage when other people are out.

You're taking A LOT of vacation. You've taken off over a month, and we're only halfway through the year. That's a lot. Just FYI in case you're unaware, because you said your boss wouldn't approve it if it weren't ok. Don't be surprised if you get feedback at some point that you're taking too much leave.

PP here. I've taken around 5 weeks of vacation a year for years and no one has said anything. I'm still consistently getting high marks on my reviews and no one has commented on it. We work hard, and the work is physically and mentally draining, but thankfully our boss is in full support of us using our vacation time. I do think it helps that I also help pick up when others are on vacation.

[Anonymous]

ITT people unable to distinguish between 5 weeks in a half year and 10 weeks in the whole year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, of course not.

Management's whole job is to hire, train, and plan such that one absence doesn't break things. Honestly it's rude not to let them earn their paycheck.

+1000

[Anonymous]

perfectly okay. your manager will make it work. not your problem.

[Anonymous]

This is all so foreign to me. I’m a teacher so rarely take leave during the contract year. DH is a law firm partner, so doesn’t even track his leave because he’s still responsible for his client matters and typically works on vacation, even if it’s just to check email/texts and delegate specific tasks to others. Some times he has to work a lot on vacation, other times just a little each day.

[Anonymous]

Only Americans think that taking vacation, especially one lasting more than a week, is an issue. This is your one and only life. If you have the time, take it. You will never get it back. Enjoy living. I know it’s hard to do in the United States where work culture is a rampant disease. But do it anyway. Take a long vacation.

[Anonymous]

I have co-workers who take a month and nobody even blinks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the most American question ever.

+1 haha

DH is from Europe, and although I am from here, we both enjoy taking 3 weeks off at a time. We usually take 3 weeks when we go abroad.

10 days would be too short for an international trip, IMO, and really enjoy it without being rushed.

This is one of the reasons I want to retire early once my youngest goes off to college. I despise the American barely 2 week vacations, and then being made to feel guilty for it. I earned that time off.

[Anonymous]

I have heard that in some industries, taking a vacation of this length is mandatory--it is how the organization develops enough skill overlap (and oversight over your workstream) to be able to easily replace you, and make sure you're not up to nefarious doings in the meanwhile.

Take. Your. Time. Off.

[Anonymous]

Unless you own the company, staffing during earned leave remains management's responsibility, not yours.

[Anonymous]

On my teams we all cover each other. So vacation that long would be fine if we have enough notice. My boss recently took a vacation that long without much notice (and didn’t sign off on the only thing I asked for ahead of time) which was harder.

I’m a fed who earns 26 days a year. I also often earn comp time for travel and time off awards. I’m taking leave for a week soon, will be back for a week, and then gone for another week (two different places). Two weeks of leave over the summer is pretty typical for me.

I also typically take a week for spring break, 1 week st Christmas, and then days scattered here and there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only Americans think that taking vacation, especially one lasting more than a week, is an issue. This is your one and only life. If you have the time, take it. You will never get it back. Enjoy living. I know it’s hard to do in the United States where work culture is a rampant disease. But do it anyway. Take a long vacation.

Because everyone is petrified that if they take vacation, they won't show their "loyalty" and be fired. Or they become the person who brings their laptop and is really working the entire trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the most American question ever.

It's and american site, with american questions.

[Anonymous]

Not your problem. If they don’t want you to take leave they shouldn’t provide you with leave. The fact that some places require you to get approval to take leave is ridiculous and should be illegal. I understand maybe requiring that you give 14 days notice if you are going to put more than 2 days or something similar. The fact that companies can determine when you take vacation or leave for personal needs is nothing short of stupid.