OOO AF

...and not feeling bad about it

Booked your flight, found a place to stay and now it’s time to request the time off. You just planned the perfect trip.

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Anxiety looms, guilt begins to build as you try to be charismatic, funny and likable to request a week off to travel.

This happens to me just about every time I prepare to request paid time off (PTO). I cringe at the thought of any negative commentary for taking time off that I rightfully deserve. I like to call it vacation shaming.

You know, the guilt you feel when asking for time off to take the vacation your rightfully deserved and earned?

Vacation Shaming - the act of judging others for taking time off because they secretly wish they could take time off too.

I work in a traditional corporate environment in New York City. We're all in before 9:00 AM, phones ringing, conference calls happening, we're working through lunch, we're leaving the office late, and we're complaining about it all, as if somehow this means we're hard workers? Imagine being told “Early day?” for leaving on time? I've witnessed the side eyes given to those who leave early (on time), but I've let go of that toxic judgement long ago because, self care.

I sense a bit of guilt when I go on vacation, I begin to think of the backlogged worked, pre-anxiety to the hundreds of emails I'll return to, or my colleagues being overwhelmed because they didn't realize just how much work I really do.

I started my new job last year. Prior to me starting this new job, I had seven trips planned within the first five months of the year that were either domestic or international. Admittedly, I was a little nervous to tell the recruiter this before I signed the offer letter, but I had to because every trip was important and I had to be there. I was gone every month, sometimes twice in the month. I was lucky enough to have communicated the expectation prior and to be working in the travel industry where we have a bit more flexibility.

“A survey conducted by Glassdoor found the average US employee took only 54 percent of their allowance compared to 62 percent in the UK, with two in three (66 percent) working while on holiday”

Taking time off aids in protecting your mental health, and we all need to make sure we’re making time for ourselves. So the next time you turn that Out of Office alert on, don’t feel bad about it, remember you earned and deserve this!

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