Already a member?
Welcome to Brazen Careerist!
Emily Ma is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Emily Ma and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Brazen careerist
Where ambitious young professionals connect and grow
Email
Print
Technology HAS NOT helped us to work less
In 2007, Business Week had an article entitled Do Us A Favor, Take A Vacation!
The article discusses how the American Worker makes an art of NOT taking vacations. How we deny ourselves the break a vacation gives even when we are on vacation. It’s a fact how technologies we created were suppose to help us work less – as defined by 1960/70’s utopia theorist – but in all actually we have created a situation where we work when we should not. After we wake up in the morning, on the commute, during lunch, after work and in the evenings; we find it even harder to get a way. Forbes had an article discussing how people can Use Technology to Spend Less Time Working but I’m not so sure about it.
It could be the economy. Our endless drive to get ahead or the fact that we are even afraid – and maybe guilty – to take the vacations we work so hard for.
Survey Says!!!
The article cites some interesting percentages based on a survey by the employment firm Hudson:
- More than 50% of American workers fail to take all their vacation days.
- 30% say they use less than half their allotted time.
- 20% take only a few days instead of a week or two.
- Among so-called extreme jobholders 42% claim they have to cancel vacation plans “regularly.”
- Americans take even less vacation than the Japanese, the people who gave rise to karoshi—the phenomenon of being worked to death.
These figures were listed in 2007. I can only imagine what it is like today!
Management has a tougher time of saying “See ya next week!”
The article also states: Even when managers do go away, they don’t get away. Instead of mentally checking out in cabanas with cocktails, Americans have become bent-headed people of the hand held or laptop—gear that was supposed to be the mighty liberator but has turned into a wireless manacle. Which is why hotels are offering to lock up workaholics’ BlackBerrys, companies are frog-marching people off on vacation whether they like it or not, resorts are springing up that offer an unplugged respite from the world of work, and doctors are starting to write prescriptions for—YES—vacations.
While I am not currently working, it does not mean that I shouldn’t get away from the job of looking for a job – from the job of life. I think people need to take time for themselves. They need a get-a-way from the everyday surroundings that make them worry, stress, or think of their work. Sometimes we even need a get-a-way from our vacation.
I’m On Vacation!!!, but still come back here and visit!
With that, I’ll be on Vacation next week. Be on the look out for a few guest post from some great writers. I’ll be off to sun and beaches to enjoy time with family and maybe even play some golf.
Miss me while I’m gone but don’t miss me so much because as Arnold Schwarzenegger said I’ll be back!
For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles,
subscribe to Brazen Careerist.
- Why You Might Be Better Off Without a Job After College
- Continuing Education: Extending Learning Beyond Your Campus Years
- The Anti-Stalker’s Guide for Converting Online Contact into Real World Collaboration
- A New Kind of Business Mover and Shaker
- How To Find a Writing Partner Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals and Make More Money
Comments
06.07.10
So glad to see someone going on vacation. It is so crucial to keep our life in perspective. This blog post has great advice for how to do this. http://betterwaytomakealiving.com/_wordpress/?p=347
06.07.10
As they say, "work hard and play hard". Have a great vacation! :)
06.07.10
Sometimes it's hard to admit that the office can get by without you for a week or two. I used to love relating the story about solving some work related problem on the phone, while replacing a faulty downspout at our summer cottage over summer vacation.
However, as I get older (and more disillusioned with work) I find myself saying 'the heck with it'. All the same problems I left are still going to be there when I get back. I can't solve them all when I am actually at work, so leaving them unsolved for 2 weeks is not going to hurt the company either.
Every time I take a day off, I expect to get push-back from my management, and I never do.
I have 5 weeks of vacation, and I'm taking every single day this year.
06.07.10
I've been taking "vacations" on weekends where I totally unplug. Unless it's necessary, I won't even open the laptop. It's working wonders for my sanity...
06.07.10
Thanks to you all for the comments. For more feel free to visit http://ReThinkHR.org
Oh and a great tip for many people having a tough time getting away for a week... take a 3 or 4 day weekend (Wed or Thur thru Sunday. You can stretch out your vacation even more throughout the year!
06.07.10
Sometimes it takes practice. People may need to start unplugging just one day or even a few hours every weekend and work their way up.
I think part of the reason people are able to stay connected is they go on vacations that allow them to (e.g. beach destinations). I personally usually go on slightly more active trips (I'm not rock climbing or anything) and it's next to impossible to check in regularly. Great way to clear your mind...because you have to.
Come to think of it, I think it's important to have "heavily involved" interests in general. Sometimes sitting and doing nothing/being entertained just isn't enough. I decompress with a martial arts class a few days a week. If work is especially stressful, all I want to do is go home and sit...but guess what. My mind doesn't rest and I go back to work the next day feeling no better. Having to do something physical requires me to let go, if even only for a couple hours.
06.07.10
Unplugging is critical, even if you're not out of town. But another important lesson (especially to managers) is that if everything really falls apart without you, there's a serious systemic problem. You should trust your team in your absence - unless you left them to tend to a major fire. I had a manager who checked in by phone 3 to 4 times a day when he went on "vacation" for 10 to 40 minutes at a time; not only did this unnerve all of us, but he created problems, he didn't solve any - because none of us could operate without the next "call in." But that's a management conversation... the rest of you, and me too, GO PLAY!
06.08.10
If you're not taking a vacation, what's the point of working? Why wait until you're too old to do most of the things you'd really love to do when you could be doing them right now? The purpose of a job is so you can afford to live. Your life is not for the purpose of making somebody else money.
Enjoy your vacation!
12.08.10
@Megan - I am all for unplugging! It is hard to do though.
@Lindsey - You should trust your team but what happens if you don't have the right team to trust! Stress...
@Jeremy - Actually most businesses profit on the very idea that you work to make them money. We mainly work because of 4 varied reasons
1) We have been told we should work all our lives
2) We don't know what else to do to make money
3) We have no entrepreneurial spirit to not work a traditional job and/or
4) The work we do brings us purpose
12.08.10
@Ben
I never said they didn't, I said that it's not what our lives are *for*. i.e. Your sole purpose in living is not to work for somebody else.
When I work, I make whoever I'm working for money. But I expect a reasonable amount of time to go off and do the things I enjoy doing that will never make me money as well.
01.23.11
The paradox is that all this new technology is also helping us to plan vacation in fairly easy way. You can check for traveling routes and directions on the internet. You can book flights and hotels rooms. It is sad to see that people these days don't know how to relax and have some fun.
Got Something To Say?
Got Something To Say?
Not a Member? Brazen Careerist is a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Set up a free account today to comment on this post and start sharing your ideas. Learn more.
Login to view your networks!
 |
 |
 |
|
|
