Call in Well – Take a Vacation Day

I played hooky from work yesterday. It was a planned event, weeks in the making.

Coming up with the excuse to call in with was a challenge. My favorite was “I am stuck in the blood pressure machine down at Wal-Mart and the paramedics are on the way.”

I didn’t use an excuse. After writing yesterday’s post, I opted to tell the truth. I needed a mental recovery day.

Well that, and it’s best not to lie to your boss, your coworkers or your clients because they’ll probably be the ones you’ll run into on the golf course or while you’re walking down the street in shorts and flip flops when you’re supposed to be in bed with the flu.

I told my team at work exactly what I was doing – taking a family health day. Every year before school starts my oldest (and only school-aged) daughter and I have a full day of play – Just like Ferris Bueller and his friends.

My work was covered, and the department and the company operated just fine without me for one day. This is important because taking a vacation day should not cause undue hardship on your co-workers.

Father and daughter went to breakfast, then to an amusement park, lunch and then the movies. We enjoyed every moment. I didn’t think about to-do lists, deadlines or meetings. Instead I reconnected with my childhood, when being a kid meant just having fun, hanging out and playing together. My daughter felt important (she planned the day) and by bedtime I felt rejuvenated and ready to face work on Friday.

Have you taken a vacation or personal wellness day recently? Or are you more prone to calling in sick or coming up with an elaborate excuse? Either way, I’d like to hear your story.

Comments

[Bonnie]

My office lets us accumulate an enormous amount of leave (about 9 weeks) before it's use it or lose it. Amazingly, I tend hover very close to the lose it point. But this summer I decided "no more!" My employer compensates me in leave time for a reason, and by golly I’m going to use it.

I tend to plan at least a couple weeks out for a leave day. Occasionally, if things are slow and my calendar is empty, I’ll take a spontaneous day. I don’t give lame excuses though. I just call up the office and tell them I’ll see them tomorrow.

[Sean]

Bonnie:

Good for you. I was in the same boat as you seven years ago. I took off the month of June. It was wonderful. I have a friend who takes every Friday off in the summer for 10 weeks of 3-day weekends.