Summer is a time to recharge your batteries by going on vacation.
To Vacate is to leave things behind.
- What are you ready to let go, leave behind, release?
- What extra burdens are you carrying that aren’t yours to carry?
Make time this summer to finish a project at home or delegate some smaller tasks to others.
How about letting go of one burden you still carry that isn’t your responsibility -oooh there’s a challenge.
Vacating gives you a chance to start fresh.
If you have trouble delegating, finishing projects, or time management, consider getting support to learn successful strategies to stay focused and motivated*.
Vacation Benefits
We typically get time off in summer to re-set our “Go” button. Time to travel, visit friends, re-connect with family.
But is 1 week enough?? People with stressful or fast-paced jobs, need at least 3 days to unwind the pressure. That leaves only 3 days to relax before heading home.
In the U.S., we are lucky to get a two week summer vacation. In fact only 55% of companies give paid time off. USA Today reports, “The United States is the only developed country in the world without a single legally required paid vacation day or holiday. By law, every country in theEuropean Union has at least four work weeks of paid vacation.” (June 2013)
That’s right, the European Union mandates 4 weeks annual vacation, not counting national holidays.
Talk to your HR dept. Turns out they would probably agree that you need more time off.
Forbes shared the results of a survey by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) that 94% of HR professionals agreed that more time off would lead to greater productivity. They found when employees take vacation, it makes a positive impact on performance, morale, wellness, culture, productivity and retention.
Long Service Leave
In Australia they get a 6 month long service leave!
Yes you read that right—- 6 months to travel♦. (That’s why if you’ve gone overseas it’s not uncommon to run into an Aussie who’s been traveling for 3-4 months and has another few months to go.)
Long service leave rewards continuity, longevity, stability.
What if US companies offered a long service leave- especially one tied to renewing your certifications, sharping your skills, or learning entirely new skills?
Academia offers sabbaticals as a way for professors to keep current in their field, why not the rest of us?
Propose a 1 month study period, or immersive skill renewal time to all staff for every 7-10 yrs within your firm. This would build greater engagement and foster life-long learning. It also allows employees to keep current and follow trends in their field.
This could be built into your company’s Talent Management or Professional Development program. Staff would submit what they want to learn prior to scheduling their leave, and describe how they will bring their learning back to their job.
Such time could be used on technical skills or interpersonal/team skills to improve communication, Emotional Intelligence, conflict resolution. There are so many on-line programs, MeetUp Groups, Library seminars, and ebooks available, finding programs to fit someone’s schedule and budget should be feasible.
Take Your Vacation and Renew
Give yourself permission to use ALL your vacation days this year. You work hard for it. You earned it. You deserve it.
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♦ Australia has such programs due to geography and history. Most of the early Aussies came from the British Isles- literally half way around the globe. To see family left behind, it took nearly a month by boat to get there (and then of course a month to get back).
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Linda J. Ferguson, Ph.D. is a Job and Life Coach. She offers valuable strategies and tools to have successful work and balanced life.
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Janae Bower of FindingIt is an inspirational speaker, award-winning author and training consultant who helps others get to the heart of what matters most.
Linda Ferguson wrote the book "Path for Greatness: Spirituality at Work" and has presented workshops around the country on aligning our gifts, passion and purpose.