Vacation deprivation: making time for time off

Travel hassles and working vacations
Lord knows it’s easy enough to forgo time off, especially when travel is such a hassle. Overcrowded airports. High gas prices. Seemingly endless traffic jams by the beach, at the border and in the parks (amusement, national and otherwise). Factor in the volatile dynamics of the average family trip — close quarters, conflicting agendas, innocent comments blown out of all proportion — and that long-planned vacation can quickly end up feeling a lot like work.

So, instead of going away, we go into work because it’s expected of us, because the competition demands it or because extra hours are interpreted as increased dedication. We worry that extended absences suggest a lack of commitment and fear that more time off means less job security. Besides, the work is only going to pile up in our absence, right?

Unless, of course, we take it with us, along with the cell phone, BlackBerry and laptop computer. We go on vacation, but remain tied to the office by a tangle of technological leashes and the 24/7, always-on, always-available lifestyle. We figure we’re killing two birds with one stone, mixing business with pleasure, when, in fact, we’re doing a disservice to both and to ourselves in the process.

We deserve better, and if it takes federal legislation to make it happen, then so be it.

From personal time to national pride
That’s the idea behind the Take Back Your Time campaign, a grassroots effort that calls on Congress to legally guarantee at least three weeks of paid vacation for all American workers. The U.S., say campaign supporters, is the only industrial nation that doesn’t guarantee its workers any paid vacation time. In fact, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, one in four Americans get no paid vacation at all.

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Like I said, that’s appalling. Forget for a moment the personal and professional benefits of taking time off — the stress reduction, time with friends and family and increased productivity upon our return — and consider the potential impact on the country as a whole.

Can you think of a more unifying issue in these polarized times? Red state or Blue state, Republican or Democrat — is there anybody out there who’s against more vacation time (and would you vote for a candidate who was)? In the end, the fight against vacation deprivation is a golden opportunity for bipartisan government and exactly what we need to take our rightful place among the world’s great vacationers.

Vacation: It’s not just good for you; it’s good for the nation. Get out there and do your part!

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