Question: I finally feel settled after exiting the Navy, applying, finding and then landing my first private sector job, and getting onboarded. Whew! I'm about eight months into the new job, and I've not had a break. Should I take a vacation, or will I be negatively viewed by my boss and peers if I take time off?
Answer: One thing many of the veterans I coach look forward to is having a more balanced work-life schedule. Included in that is the ability to take time away from the job to invest in hobbies, time with family and friends, travel or otherwise disconnect from work.
Vacation time at a job is something you're given and something you earn. It's a perk of the job, along with paid continuing education, remote work flexibility and reimbursed health-care costs in many situations.
When and how you take your vacation perk can vary by industry, employer and individual team dynamics. For example, if you work as a CPA, and you take vacation in March or early April (prime tax season), it would likely raise questions with your clients. If you're a teacher and time your vacations with the calendar school year, it's more well-received.
When deciding when to take a vacation from your job, consider:
1. Does the Timing of Your Vacation Correspond with a Heavy Season at Your Work?
For example, the end-of-year holiday season is often a busy time for retail workers and may be less than ideal for you to be absent.
With more experience on the job, you'll have a sense of when "busy season" is. Does year end or quarter's end tend to be crazy busy? Are summers slower? Taking a vacation during more optimal times, and thereby not inconveniencing your team, shows consideration.
2. Is the Vacation Related to a Significant Event that Isn't Flexible?
Imagine your sister's wedding happens to fall in the middle of a crazy project at work. Do you leave and face letting your colleagues down, or should you miss this important milestone in your family?
In a situation where you can't change the date of the event to better suit your workload, communicating about it early helps. Let your team know about the scheduling challenge as soon as you know. Help them prepare your workflow to accommodate the absence and do your best to get back up to speed as soon as you return.
3. Does the Vacation Correspond to Your Mental Health Needs?
While you don't have an obligation to share with your boss and team why you need a break, sometimes explaining that you need to recharge your creativity and energy is beneficial.
Everyone experiences periods of stress, fatigue and lack of enthusiasm. Early on in your role, you're likely showing your best, most energetic side most days. This can be tiring! When you feel the need to step away for a bit, and you've earned the time off, time your break when your absence won't significantly impact your colleagues or projects.
4. Do You Need a Big or Short Break?
Sometimes, a three- or four-day weekend can feel like you've been gone a week or more! Perhaps instead of asking for two weeks off after less than a year on the job, you ask for a few Fridays and Mondays off to give yourself more downtime on the weekend.
If you need a longer break, consider timing, impact on your work and colleagues, and the importance of returning to the job refreshed and energized to do a great job.
5. If Your Request for a Vacation Is Not Positively Received by Your Boss, Inquire as to Why
Is it poor timing, is the team short-handed or are vacations discouraged (even though they're offered)? Knowing this answer can help you decide next steps (such as planning for better timing, if possible).
Most companies today support employees taking vacations. Since earned time off is something you earn ... you should use it. Watch how your peers take time off and how they handle their returns. This will tell you a lot about the company culture and how well your request will be received.
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