Hookey

Since the poor workers of America only get two weeks vacation a year, many of us run out of vacation before all of the Fall/Winter bragins come out. With all of those wonderful travel bargins and deals out there for extended weekends..., what is the best excuse you have used to "play hookey"?

Working

Do you mean to inquire whether I lie to people and invent a false excuse to avoid work? No. I would consider that dishonest and morally inappropriate. If I needed more time off, I would ask for it, taking it unpaid if need be, or I would get another job.

janice

I just got a promotion - in lieu of part of the appropriate raise, I asked for more vacation time. I would never dream of not telling my employers the truth if I were leaving the country.

Hookey

I think I was misunderstood..., my intent of the questions was to stir up the post on how we as a society can get more time off to travel and see the world.

Anne

Hookey, I think the other two posters were being tongue-in-cheek (I hope so, anyway!). I usually use family if I need an excuse. I live in a different area of the country from where I originally come from. It comes in handy to say that I have to see my family or go to a funeral and no one can really check up on me. As for your question of how we can get away more often to travel? We live in a puritanical, workaholic society in the U.S. "Goofing off" is associated with immorality and laziness. Maybe that's changing to a small degree, but we're far behind the Europeans when it comes to downtime and holidays.

Hookey

Thanks Anne! See there are people in this world you can have fun with a question! <BR> <BR>Let's keep it going!

kk

I think it is also very important to bare in mind the following: <BR> <BR>No one ever asked to have this put on his/her tombstome--I wish I'd spend more time in the office. <BR>!!!

janice

Please note, my tongue was firmly in cheek in my first posting, but I do think my approach with my promotion might be effective - if lots of people would request vacation time (in addition to or in lieu of raises), and demonstrate to employers that vacation is a valuable part of the compensation package, then offering more vacation would become common, or at least more of an option in how we're paid.

Working

Hookey, I'm glad to know your post was in jest, although it sure looked serious to me. I have supervised people before who do play hookey, and it has caused problems on the job. So you touched a nerve.

jss

Hookey: you surely did sound serious on your posting, so I will also go that route: <BR>My first trip to Europe was for 2 weeks, and I only had 1 week stored up. I did indeed ask for (and received with no problem) one week unpaid vacation time. Had to save more (since I was definitely not making big bucks at that point) but I was traveling on the cheap (anyone remember the old "Europe on $10/day" books?) and I had no regrets whatsoever. <BR>At one point in my current job position, I got a promotion and tried to up my vacation time: large company, lots of rules, didn't fly. (But, I stayed around, the next year went to 3 weeks vacation.) <BR>Re: using a fudged story: I cannot imagine being overseas and lying about where I am. Too stinking easy to get caught if return is delayed or they run into someone who knows, and besides: how could one not end up talking about the trip??? <BR>Bottom line to me: work hard and well, take unpaid leave if necessary (catches the higher-ups attention in a good way, an added bonus), stick with a job long enough to earn more vacation time, and don't beef about the american system: contrast our standards of living, our pay scales, our ability to "change horses" in our career paths more than most Europeans can, --- all of these help us to afford to live a life that includes travel!!!

jss

Hookey: Just re-read your original post (after I hit the "go" button): <BR>Dude - *plan ahead*. don't fritter away your vacation time, save it because you *know* those deals come up almost every year! I almost never take a simple day's vacation, I use each day of my now 4 weeks/yr to be out of town!!!