Never underestimate the benefits of a vacation…
We all build up stress from time to time, whether you are self-employed or work for a big company.
Despite what people might think today, work was never meant to be easy. In fact, if it’s easy you’re probably not working very hard. I believe that work is meant to challenge us, to push us to become more.
I love the feeling of being good at my job, but I also realize that when that comes to pass that I need one of two things – either get a promotion or that I push myself to improve.
Now many people dream of being self-employed but it’s not all peaches and cream. It’s tough. The best part of being self-employed though, is that you can set your own schedule… you also have no one else to blame if things go wrong.
Working for a company is quite different. You have little control over your work, but each year we are all given somewhere between 10 days and a month off depending on where you work and what you do.
A vacation for a job well done.
But what I’ve found from talking to many friends is that very few of them take their allotted days.
In fact, many people feel guilty about taking holidays that they rightfully earned.
I know I did, and my boss made sure to remind me how understaffed they were and how I should take a few days off now and maybe some later…only later never came.
The vacation days you have are yours, no one else’s. You’re entitled to those days, so take them.
Companies today, due to the declining economic environment, are able to demand more from their employees and one such way they do so is by trying to limit them taking time off, and what’s worse is it’s about to get a whole lot worse.
20 short years ago, lifetime employment was not unheard of, but today it’s going the way of the dinosaurs. Today there is a very real fear of being fired today, even in such countries as Japan.
In spite of the economy what many companies tend to forget is that by having their employees work harder is that they function at a lower level of efficiency.
I don’t know about you, but the day before I go on vacation, I get twice as much done… and the same can be said for when I return.
Companies should be looking for better efficiency, not simply harder workers. Too many mistake hard work and long hours for efficiency. There is a big difference.
Stop your employees taking their well earned holidays and they will resent you for it; again hurting their efficiency.
But more importantly, the vacations I shared with my family and friends were some of the best memories of my life.
The beaches, the hotels, the food, the amusement parks, the people I met, the wild stories…I could go on but you get the picture.
Vacations are sacred for the employee and any boss or company that prevents you from taking what you are rightfully owed doesn’t value their employees.
Some bosses like to squeeze more out of their employees by having them come in early, work late as well as weekends, be wary of this trick. There are times when we need to put in a little overtime work but it’s not every other day.
Emergencies do happen, but that doesn’t mean they can’t survive without you. If that’s the case, then there is a serious lack of communication going on within the company.
While I know many people who enjoy traveling after retirement, not everyone is so lucky.
Health becomes an issue.
My father was able to enjoy 5 years of retirement and then he was gone.
Don’t pass up vacations that are yours. Work is hard, so enjoy a well earned vacation each year for your own sanity.
The company will survive without you, but you might not survive without a vacation.
Remember that.
Adrian Shepherd