Since joining a UK company, I've noticed how my colleagues (including managers) take their holidays very seriously, and there is no shame around taking lots of annual leave. They work quite hard and in good spirits when they are on the job. Productivity will vary from company to company (as it does in the US), but in a workplace with a strong work ethic, I'm seeing more holidays don't dampen it at all.
I was also blown away when my therapist suggested I could work 4 days instead of 5 if I wanted to pursue writing (or some other side hustle). I didn't realise it was more of a common practice here. It's something I'm seriously considering.
I was always pretty lax about taking leave. We could take a max of 10 days unused leave over into the next year and I always did that. One year we were SUPER busy so couldn't take much leave and we (not just me) had to get permission from a BIG boss that we could take even more over. I think I took 15 that year, which meant I had NINE weeks leave to take!!! My boss had to stand over me and almost force me to take a holiday. The Company was very good like that. The period around Christmas & New Year was especially sacrosanct - unless you had a VERY good reason to come in you were ORDERED to take time off.
We were always very flexible with our working. I could leave early one day a week to complete my MA and we worked 'flexibly' which meant you could start at 7, 8, or 10:00 in the morning as long as you completed your contracted hours (and your boss didn't mind). I think I was the only night owl on the team, so I was usually the last one in and the last one to leave. I knew quite a few people who worked a 4 day week - just longer hours each day. It really worked for them with family commitments and such.
Plus, they can enjoy their free healthcare. I used to work there once and my youngest does so now, so I know what I am talking about. Oh, and education. An American guy once told me he rather paid for his kids' university than the high petrol prices we pay here. I said it's the other way around because so most people can afford an education which is better for all of us.
3 comments:
Since joining a UK company, I've noticed how my colleagues (including managers) take their holidays very seriously, and there is no shame around taking lots of annual leave. They work quite hard and in good spirits when they are on the job. Productivity will vary from company to company (as it does in the US), but in a workplace with a strong work ethic, I'm seeing more holidays don't dampen it at all.
I was also blown away when my therapist suggested I could work 4 days instead of 5 if I wanted to pursue writing (or some other side hustle). I didn't realise it was more of a common practice here. It's something I'm seriously considering.
I was always pretty lax about taking leave. We could take a max of 10 days unused leave over into the next year and I always did that. One year we were SUPER busy so couldn't take much leave and we (not just me) had to get permission from a BIG boss that we could take even more over. I think I took 15 that year, which meant I had NINE weeks leave to take!!! My boss had to stand over me and almost force me to take a holiday. The Company was very good like that. The period around Christmas & New Year was especially sacrosanct - unless you had a VERY good reason to come in you were ORDERED to take time off.
We were always very flexible with our working. I could leave early one day a week to complete my MA and we worked 'flexibly' which meant you could start at 7, 8, or 10:00 in the morning as long as you completed your contracted hours (and your boss didn't mind). I think I was the only night owl on the team, so I was usually the last one in and the last one to leave. I knew quite a few people who worked a 4 day week - just longer hours each day. It really worked for them with family commitments and such.
Plus, they can enjoy their free healthcare. I used to work there once and my youngest does so now, so I know what I am talking about. Oh, and education. An American guy once told me he rather paid for his kids' university than the high petrol prices we pay here. I said it's the other way around because so most people can afford an education which is better for all of us.
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