Anybody else not use enough PTO thoughout the year?

[Big A]

This is the tough part about some jobs. I always try to plan my trips so at least a part of it is in places with no computers/phones. i.e. a 2 week hunting trip, I may be completely out of touch for 4 days. It's a compromise, cause I hate stressing about work on vacation.

Me too, and truthfully, there isn't anything that can't wait for a few days. But being in sales, it's not worth the risk. What doesn't come through me, may very well go to a competitor in that 4 or 5 day time frame. Not likely, but not worth the risk.

[ceyko]

Me too, and truthfully, there isn't anything that can't wait for a few days. But being in sales, it's not worth the risk. What doesn't come through me, may very well go to a competitor in that 4 or 5 day time frame. Not likely, but not worth the risk.

Yeah, same here - sales oriented job. One time we lost a little work over me being out of touch for a few days. That was okay (although, it felt like I lost), but to lose big deals is not worth it...generally speaking...if a few hours of work would make it happen.

[Forever_frost]

Yes, being home all the time sucks. I need a hobby

[Shorty]

I have to fight to use all mine. It's not my boss being tough about it, it's just a function of what the executives up the line have made the job (and why I'm looking for a new one). A couple years ago I could effectively manage my workload working 45-50 hours a week. Due to some legal issues, we were switched from exempt to non-exempt and now we can only work 37.5 hours a week, no OT. It's a beating to get the job done now but I manage. I've gone from excelling to meeting expectations.

The issue with taking time off is that no one really covers for you. They can't assign work to you while you're out, but anything you have currently assigned will just sit there. It's damn near impossible to work ahead without being able to work OT so the more time you take off, the more your work suffers, the more your score suffers, the more your raise suffers. I've gotten quite Peter Gibbons about my job recently since I don't plan on reaping the rewards of any raise for next year though so I don't sweat it.

We also get a lot of vacation though. I've used 3 weeks this year and will still stand to lose a few days. We can carry over 2 weeks a year.

[bcoop]

The last time I took off more than 2 consecutive days, was 5 years ago before my daughter was born. My son, wife (at the time) and I went to Colorado for 8 days with the rest of my family. I still took emails, phone calls, etc. Prior to that, it was for my wedding in Acapulco. That one I checked my email about every 3 days long enough to skim and respond to urgent situations only.

My issue is that if I completely abandon my tether, shit is all fucked up by the time I get back. The people that are supposed to cover me, typically don't. If there is a question about something, it gets put on the back burner and they forget about it. Urgent situations don't get handled with a sense of urgency. Plus, even with our inside support staff, I'm of the mindset that if I want shit done right I have to do it myself. Customers also never actually listen to my voice mail greeting that says I am on vacation, nor do they pay attention to the detailed out of office reply, and will call repeatedly, email repeatedly, etc until they get an answer.


It's not that I want to work. Though, I love my job most days. But sales sucks in this aspect. It's that shit is so fucked up when I get back, it's almost not even worth the vacation because I have fires to put out and shit to straighten out and other people's fuck ups to fix. It would be nice to get away, and leave the phone/ipad/laptop at home and go completely off the grid for a week or two.

[Ruffdaddy]

Man, I'm going to give some of you guys some valuable advice. No one on their deathbed is thinking,"Man, I wished I worked more." Take a trip, finish a project that needs your attention, or work on a new hobby you've always wanted to try. They give it to you for a reason, and any boss giving you shit about using it isn't worth a damn any way.

This is great advice for most people, but you also gotta keep in mind some of us really like what we do. While I do need time away sometimes, I got into my field because of a genuine interest. I will never think "I wish I worked more" but I never want to be in the position where I say "Man, I wish I accomplished more". There's only 1 way yo accomplish great things and that's hard work.

Even if I'm not at work, I often do the same things at home...design stuff. Me and a colleague actually own (stupidly expensive) design software to do freelance design work and create stuff. One of my planned projects this break is actually to create a concept for a iPad/Nook/Tablet holder that is to be placed in a cupholder. The inspiration for this comes from the use of these tablets with OBDII readers. This way you can see realtime information from your car, as well as a data acquisition instrument. It is not inteded to be used for daily road use as a reader so I don't know that I really want it dash mounted.

[2165 Turbo Rail]

The last time I took off more than 2 consecutive days, was 5 years ago before my daughter was born. My son, wife (at the time) and I went to Colorado for 8 days with the rest of my family. I still took emails, phone calls, etc. Prior to that, it was for my wedding in Acapulco. That one I checked my email about every 3 days long enough to skim and respond to urgent situations only.

My issue is that if I completely abandon my tether, shit is all fucked up by the time I get back. The people that are supposed to cover me, typically don't. If there is a question about something, it gets put on the back burner and they forget about it. Urgent situations don't get handled with a sense of urgency. Plus, even with our inside support staff, I'm of the mindset that if I want shit done right I have to do it myself. Customers also never actually listen to my voice mail greeting that says I am on vacation, nor do they pay attention to the detailed out of office reply, and will call repeatedly, email repeatedly, etc until they get an answer.


It's not that I want to work. Though, I love my job most days. But sales sucks in this aspect. It's that shit is so fucked up when I get back, it's almost not even worth the vacation because I have fires to put out and shit to straighten out and other people's fuck ups to fix. It would be nice to get away, and leave the phone/ipad/laptop at home and go completely off the grid for a week or two.

THIS is why I check emails and do a little bit of work here and there even when I am on "vacation"

[GhostTX]

...
Even if I'm not at work, I often do the same things at home...design stuff. Me and a colleague actually own (stupidly expensive) design software to do freelance design work and create stuff.
...

See though, that's not work related. That's fun free-time stuff for you. The stress level doing that is WAY down than project deadlines, working with people that have different priorities, etc of your "normal" job.

If I had Solidworks/Pro/E at home, I'd probably piddle with it, too.

[mstng86]

Even if I'm not at work, I often do the same things at home...design stuff. Me and a colleague actually own (stupidly expensive) design software to do freelance design work and create stuff.

I know this is not on the subject, but does your company have any intellectual propert rights to whatever you are designing on your own time?

[GhostTX]

I know this is not on the subject, but does your company have any intellectual propert rights to whatever you are designing on your own time?

As long as he's not using company anything (computer, software, phones,etc), whatever he creates on his own time is his.

[Ruffdaddy]

See though, that's not work related. That's fun free-time stuff for you. The stress level doing that is WAY down than project deadlines, working with people that have different priorities, etc of your "normal" job.

If I had Solidworks/Pro/E at home, I'd probably piddle with it, too.

I should have clarified...it is for money often times just not through my company. Sometimes it's personal designs I want to make into production items. It's just as stressful to write your own proposals and track all progress.

[Ruffdaddy]

I know this is not on the subject, but does your company have any intellectual propert rights to whatever you are designing on your own time?

No. I have all of my own software. I also don't design for like industries. Lastly, I have the companies IP policies. I'm not stupid about this stuff

[SS Junk]

After tomorrow I get a five day weekend, come back for one day and then start ten day vacation using 80 hours. I despise my job.

[stangin4lyfe]

I think I still got 17hrs to burn before the end of the year.
As for what I do...relax, cookout, eat good, and the GYM!

[Treasure Chest]

I'm salaried and work for a small company with a large client base. We don't have a set amount of PTO, so we take off with pay as wanted/needed with the agreement that we answer phone calls and take a couple minutes a few times a day to check emails and make sure things are running smoothly. It's a really nice set-up, even if I fielded a call or two on my wedding day, half drunk, and from a hammock on the beach.