Has Fear of Job Loss Prevented You From Taking Vacation?

May 15, 2009

Cost is preventing some of us from taking long and lazy Summer vacations, and CNN reports that fear is holding back some workers from planning a getaway. These employees have vacation days to spare, but are afraid their bosses will figure out a way to eliminate their jobs during their time away from the office.

Cindy Goodman, a Miami Herald columnist, has advice for worried workers: "If you're too afraid to ask for an extended vacation, plan four-day weekends or time off around holidays." Can you empathize with the fear of taking a vacation?

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14 Comments

Allytta 4 years 3 days

i left work for a month because I need to finish university and i'm not worried. they'll take me back, because i'm a good worker and everyone knows me.

insanitypepper 4 years 6 days

Using my vacation time won't make me a target, but I'm still not taking it. If I get laid off, they have to pay me for the vacation time I have accumulated. At this point it adds up to an extra paycheck.

mek123 4 years 1 week

I didn't take much vacation last year due to business demands so I'm taking 10 days in July...I don't think taking vacation will move anyone higher on the lay-off list.

Spectra 4 years 1 week

We've been busier than normal lately, so hardly anyone's taking vacations now. Not because anyone's afraid of getting fired; it's more so that the rest of the lab won't have to struggle to find people to take extra work on.

aimeeb 4 years 1 week

Nope not as of yet...although my work only gives 10 days (that's vaca and sick) for me. Lame.

shiningeyes 4 years 1 week

I don't think taking a vacation will make me more likely to get laid off.... but I still am sitting on my vacation days regardless right now. My company has had a lot of layoffs and branch closings recently, so I'm on high alert. In the event I do get laid off, I want that vacation pay!!

ktownpolarbear 4 years 1 week

yes and no. yes, so i re-scheduled a vacation, and paid dearly in penalties, b/c it occurred right during the first round of lay-offs. now that i'll finally be leaving during the second round of lay-offs, i'm worried, but i refuse to change it again.

fleurfairy 4 years 1 week

No. I refuse to look back on my life and say I wish I had gone to such and such, but instead I spent that time in my office. Yay! (sarcastic). If my company fires me for that, oh well. Life is too short.

UrbanBohemian 4 years 1 week

Interesting....I work alone in a division within my society (I'm a librarian), and although I work two days a week and have committed myself above and beyond in the 9 months I've been working for them, I am reluctant to ask for time off. I don't know how I'll be able to ask. But they aren't giving me any benefits, so I think I'm worth a flexible schedule.

jelibeann 4 years 1 week

I've actually used all four weeks of my vacation this year already! So, clearly I wasn't too worried in that respect. However, one of my husband's co-workers, the office manager, was really, really sick earlier this year and while he was out, the office realized how much smoother things were running and how much higher morale was without him! Lucky for him, he still has a job, but he is apparently scheduled to take a week's vacation at the end of June, which the boss is not happy about (summer is their super-busy season)...what a mess.

bengalspice 4 years 1 week

I had a friend axed twice during a planned vacation she asked for months in advance [for family events]. In both instances there was no reason for her being let go other than they wanted to pay someone else to do her job for cheaper.

bigestivediscuit 4 years 1 week

No. I have four weeks of vacay so I don't think it would matter.

sonya ina 4 years 1 week

Heck no! I am taking 7 days off in August to go to Europe, and a few extra days here and there. I deserve a vacation -- I work my butt of and didn't take one last year, so I have plenty of vacation days left.

ilanac13 4 years 1 week

nope - i figure that the company has taken away soo many other 'perks' or things that we've become accustomed to that my vacation days are sacred. besides, my boss takes her fair share of vacations! i even just booked a 4 day trip (mind you 1 is a holiday and 2 are a weekend so i timed it well to only take 1 day off work)

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