Why Don't You Take Vacation?

Recently I have run into a number of people, both employees and consultants who can’t seem to separate themselves from their work while on vacation. This behavior is extremely mystifying to me. A related phenomenon is people who won’t/don’t use their vacation. I’ve identified 4 personalities that exhibit these tendencies.

  • William the Worker doesn’t have a separate identity from his work identity and feels lost doing something different than work tasks.
  • Essential Ellen believes that without her things will fall apart.
  • Charlie the Consultant feels the need to work wherever he is because of the financial pressures of hours not worked being hours not billed.
  • Hacker Helen loves her work so much she’d rather do it that anything else and typically works at home after work for "fun" regularly and vacations are no different.

Are you William, Ellen, Charlie or Helen? How do you justify working on vacation or not taking your vacation?

7 Comments

  • I justify not taking a vacation by pretending that I am on vacation all the time with work sprinkled in between. I probably end up working more than 40 hours a week but it doesn't feel like that since it's not in 8 hour blocks of work. I work for a couple of hours, watch a movie, work some more, go riding/skiing/do whatever, work more, go out to dinner, work more. Not much of a stress, not much of feeling like working at all.

  • I'm more of a "Helen like" person....I do a lot of "fun work after work" :D.



    Is that something bad???

  • I am "None of The Above"



    I make difficult to reach me on the weekends and do not carry my cell or a laptop while on vacation.



    My personal time is just too important to me. Work stays at work and in return I leave my personal baggage at home.

  • I am available in my vacation time for two reasons:



    (1) I am a team player - I am lucky enough to work with a bunch of great people in a great company, and if something important happens and they need my help, I want them to know that i'm available 24/7.



    (2) it's an unspoken ballance. My bosses don't bother me if i occasionally do personal stuff on company time (pay some bills, look for an appartment, etc), and in return I don't bother them if they occasionally call me at 7:30pm if there is a problem with a build.



    I've only been on one vacation where I explicitly said i am unreachable - don't even try; it was my honeymoon =).

  • I do take vacations. (One begins Saturday!)

    But I am increasingly aware of a work-centric focus within me. Specifically, I am increasingly aware of a part of me not feeling safe, good, or "OK" in general when I am not engaged in some productive activity. I suspect that this is a deeply-engrained, partly conscious driver that many of us share. I bet that your William, Ellen, Charlie, and Helen above all share it. Deep down, if they stop working for very long, it just somehow feels bad, wrong, not OK. So without really understanding why, they begin working again. On something. Perhaps anything.

  • Wife and I do not like the same destinations. She serves on many committees and boards. Never have a time when she can get away. We have very different vacation ideas. I like the beach. I get six weeks. Spend it at home doing projects around the house. I need to get a hobby, or join some boards. Training to be a workaholic.

  • I don't take vacation only because I am to reliable for work.
    Vendors have to be paid and not enough staff to cover when I am away.
    Also can't go because someone else will have it off.
    So I have basicly given up on asking.
    Also would feel guilty for going on vaction.

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