I bought a house in April. I get 15 days of paid vacation and sick time per calendar year, and almost all of them have been used to complete house projects. Paint this, demo that, install the thingamabob. When the dust finally settled, I realized I have only a few days left for the rest of the year (with a couple set aside for the dreaded illnesses Old Man Winter brings with him) and I haven't taken a single minute to relax.
I love my house and I love the work I've done to it, but I'm kicking myself for not saving more vacation time for a real escape. What does any of that mean to you? I'm not sure, but you should tell me.
What do you spend your vacation time doing? How important is it to you? Do you use it to take real destination vacations, spend time with the kids, or do you not use it at all?
If you're unemployed, are you still giving yourself time for vacations or nixing them altogether until you get your next job?
In the meantime, digest this little fun fact from Salary.com: "Paid vacation time is a voluntary benefit that organizations offer to employees. There are no federal regulations requiring employers to provide vacation days, but it has become common business practice to do so."
Did you know that? All along I thought it was mandated, but here's a big fat THANK YOU to all the companies out there that give employees a break!
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