I’ve been saving my vacation time at my library job ever since we started trying to get pregnant, knowing that I would need it for maternity leave (or that if I decide to quit when the baby is born, it will be a nice fat final paycheck). I currently have about 155 hours saved up.
My husband’s knee surgery is scheduled for next Monday. I’m going to go with him, as he won’t be able to drive and the hospital we’re using is about 3 hours away from here. We have to stay there for four days – luckily my husband’s sister has a condo in a town about 30 minutes from the hospital where we can stay next week.
I normally work Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri at the library, so next week I’ll miss Mon, Tues, and Thurs. I didn’t want to burn 24 vacation hours if I could avoid it, so I did some strategizing. I volunteered to go into work today to empty the book drops since we were closed for MLK day. That got me 3.5 hours. Then I signed up for a city class on Wed this week (it’s a class I have to take sometime, so I figured now is as good a time as ever), which will give me 6 hours on a day that I don’t normally work at the library. Then I offered to work this weekend for a co-worker in trade for her working my Tuesday and Thursday shifts next week. She was happy because she’d rather work during the week and have the weekend off when her kids are home. And I’m thrilled because with all my juggling I don’t think I’ll have to take any vacation time at all next week.
Of course I’ll be working quite a bit between now and Sunday, but my frugal self is feeling good about it. I enjoy my job anyway, so working a few extra hours now and then is ok.
Escape Brooklyn says
Saving your vacation time is a great idea! I’m doing the exact same thing for when I move, and currently have about 6 weeks saved. I expect in another year I’ll have 7+, since I have to take two weeks this year because I’m close to the “cap” and these two weeks won’t carry over.
I’ve never had a job that actually pays out for unused vacation time, so I’m psyched about this “bonus.” But it is tiring never taking time off!
Jerry says
I am dismayed that women need to save up vacation time as they lead up to having a baby… employers and insurance companies need to work out a better system! One of the things I respect about Sweden, for example, is that they mandate extensive maternity leave for up to a year after birth. Of course, they have wicked high taxes, too, but in this case I think it might be worth it.
Jerry
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