If you’ve just finished a summer holiday, you know one disadvantage of taking a break during peak season: everything is crowded and costs more. Another less obvious issue: taking a holiday outside the peak can make you a more efficient worker.
Photo by faungg
As one CEO on Open Forum suggests, if you are working when most people are away, there’s a chance to get things done that might not happen in busier periods:
1. Schedules are more open. Among lobbyists in Washington, DC, there is a rush to try and set up meetings with influencers during this slower time. Not only are these two weeks slower, but the gatekeepers (such as secretaries or office administrators) are not on high alert, and the “lame ducks” who only have a short time left in their roles may taking meetings with people they usually wouldn’t. The same thing is about to happen in the last two weeks of August for every business. Not only do people tend to have fewer meetings and less jam packed days, but the lack of people paid to keep you away can create openings to speak directly to influencers you normally couldn’t reach — that is, if you’re in town to take advantage of the opportunity.
While most of us don’t have a need to meet face to face with politicians, the point stands that it’s easier to get people’s attention or get work done when the office is slower. Then, you can take your own time off when everyone else gets back and have your favourite holiday spot all to yourself.
5 Reasons Why You Should NOT Go On Vacation Now [Open Forum via Alltop]
Comments
One response to “Why Summer Might Not Be The Best Time For A Holiday”
Brilliant advice to come out after January.
Also, as over 3/4 of my clients are Australian Gov, I start my holidays after Australia day — If it’s urgent, they have 3 weeks from New Years to get me to help them.
I get a lot of work done, funnily enough, when the gov sector has their yearly slowdown period. Non-stop inbox zero.
Unfortunately, Corporate Australia’s increasing insistence on Christmas shutdowns, makes it increasingly more difficult for employees to take “off peak” annual leave to meet their family’s and budgetary requirements. For those with family overseas, a paltry 20 days a year annual leave entitlement, this becomes even more of a challenge. I know of a colleague who gave up a well-paid job in the private sector and joined the public service (taking a $40k pay cut as a result) so that he could take advantage of the PS’s superior attitude to worklife balance and flexible working practices to take annual overseas holidays. For some reason, his employer refused to allow him to purchase the additional 2 weeks’ leave he was seeking in order to visit his elderly parents in Europe. The cynic in me wonders whether this is all one big scam to ensure holidayers’ funds remain within Australia.
I take my holidays between July and August to celebrate the end of the financial year 🙂