Burning vacation time

[midjd]

We are only allowed to carry over 10 days of vacation time from year to year. Anything in excess of this converts to sick time. We get 12 days per year.

Right now I have 15 vacation days banked, and will earn another on December 1. So I need to either burn 6 days between now and the end of the year, or suck it up and let them convert (I have about 17 sick days right now).

DH gets his vacation days annually on December 1, but already used a couple after his surgery in October, and is going on a fishing trip in early December that will probably use up the rest. So a short vacation for both of us is probably out.

I don't have a huge problem letting them convert to sick time (it would come in handy if I have a kid in the next few years) but it seems like a waste. Then again, taking a day off to sit around the house and/or clean seems like a waste, too.

What would you do? (Yes, this is a "first-world problem" )

[swamp]

burn a few days and sit at home in my jammies watching daytime tv

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

After what I've just dealt with with regards to my health, I'd take the sick time.

With this infection, I burned through 10 weeks of sick time and 5 weeks of vacation before I went on LTD. it might have been juuuust enough, had my second hip not been been infected also.

[thyme4change]

burn a few days and sit at home in my jammies watching daytime tv

[Deleted]

Take time off while your DH is fishing, and enjoy the quiet. Read a book. Watch Netflix all day. De-stress and enjoy it.

Saving sick time is also a good idea, especially since you want to have kids. I puked from the day I was prego until about 7 months. There were many, many days that I wished I had the extra sick time so that I could stay home and not have to puke in the public toilet at work. But, I needed to save all of mine for after the delivery.

[hoops902]

I would burn the time. We have no sick time, anything over 5 days does not roll over and simply evaporates.

If you were currently pregnant, I might let them convert. I wouldn't let them convert based on what "might happen" in a few years though, particularly since sick leave generally doesn't pay-out if you leave.

[muttleynfelix]

Burn a few days. Take a day to do Christmas shopping, baking, cooking, etc and have fun.

[thyme4change]

Christmas shopping on a Tuesday morning is awesome! I used to save a vacation day, my husband and I would do all our shopping, then go to lunch, drink a bunch - finish up the shopping, and go home for dinner. It was perfect!

[midjd]

After what I've just dealt with with regards to my health, I'd take the sick time.

With this infection, I burned through 10 weeks of sick time and 5 weeks of vacation before I went on LTD. it might have been juuuust enough, had my second hip not been been infected also.

That's what I did last year... our LTD (or maybe it's the STD?) kicks in after 30 calendar days (so ~20 work days) and pays 60% of salary, unless you use up 1 sick day per week you're out, then it pays 80%. We get 9 sick days per year, so it takes a while to build up the cushion you'd need to be out for more than a couple of weeks.

OTOH, sitting in front of the TV all day sounds very tempting, especially now that it's cold out! I checked my calendar for the days DH is going to be gone, and my boss is out that week, too... that might be a good time to take off. I do need to get some shopping done...

[justme]

It'd be between splitting it up (burn some, convert some) and finding a little vacation to go on myself. I always have Dr appts or randomly get sick so sick time would be nice, but I like vacations too. Not a huge fan of sitting home alone, but I live alone so I do that a lot anyways.

[lexxy703]

I like to burn 2 days & make a 4 day weekend. Sitting around catching up on thinks in the DVR or ondemand is great or reading a book snuggled up in my jammies.

[shanendoah]

If there is no limit on sick time- either on how many days you have and it doesn't expire, sure, let some convert to sick time for use when you have a kid. However, disability pay works differently for pregnancy than it does for injuries like Mich's (or at least it does in most states). In most places I am aware of, STD kicks in the moment you have the kid. You usually qualify for 6 weeks from DOB unless you had a C-section, then you get 8 weeks.
But there is no qualifying time before the disability coverage kicks in.

I would also just take a day or two for youself. That week your DH is fishing and your boss is off sounds like a perfect time to take a day or two to just be a bum yourself. I know it doesn't seem like a vacation, but really, there's nothing like having a day where you don't have to leave the house or even get dressed when you are feeling good. (Days like that when you're actually sick don't really count.)

[Deleted]

Burn a few days. Go visit a girlfriend. Organize a closet. Let a few days convert.

[Tiny]

LOL! the only thing you can think of to do with your time (when not at work) is to sit and watch TV? Really?

Personally, I'd look at my work calendar and then start setting up days off - even if it was a Wednesday. I'd work around my work calendar - just so I didn't inadvertantly make more "work" for myself by taking off a day with a deadline or that I knew was gonna be busy (or that'd I'd be needed at the office). Yeah, I'm always needed at the office... but usually my boss or someone else can do my job (for the day to day stuff). The assorted special projects are my problem children and usually require me to do something when they need baby sitting or belch (a problem).

Let's see on my "days off" I'd:
See about having lunch or dinner with a friend or two who I don't always get to see in person.
Do something I might not normally do - go to a movie, try that recipe I've been meaning to try, maybe take a walk or visit some public art/place where I could take a walk.
Maybe I'd play dress up - and go thru the clothes in my closet - weeding out what doesn't work anymore - while making a list of things I need to buy/replace. Could do this with just about anything in the house - the cosmetics drawer, a kitchen cabinet, the linen closet, the DVD collection, etc. The LIST would be the goal/prize - as it would lead to potential fun stuff to do - a scavenger hunt for new stuff. This also might lead me to hauling stuff to a charitable place which might include a place to find things on my 'scavenger list'.
Maybe I'd schedule an appointment to give blood. I have fat happy blood cells that seem to be in demand.
Maybe I'd see what 1/2 finished thing I had lying around (actually 90% of my life is 1/2 finished stuff) and I'd make an effort to finish it.
Maybe I'd start prepping for the Christmas Holiday Dinner - I volunteered to host it (for 18 people). I need to weed out the dishes/glasses/flatware - as I've been collecting up service for 24 - I've got some 'second hand' peices that could go back to the resale shop(s). I could also think about what I'd be baking/cooking and what time off I'd need around the Holidays to accomplish this one day extravaganza.
Maybe I'd plan to get my Feral HouseCats to the Vet... it's a challenge to catch them and crate them.
Maybe I'd do alittle puttering in the yard... I've got some bulbs that need to be planted.
I've got dozens of things I'd actually enjoy doing that don't involve watching TV for when I have time off...

Schedule some time off and Think outside the box (or flatscreen TV)...

[Wisconsin Beth]

Nov 5, 2012 11:05:57 GMT -5 swamp said:

burn a few days and sit at home in my jammies watching daytime tv

And take more of my codeine cough syrup.

Yeah, I doubt that I'm going to make it all day today and tomorrow. But I have stuff to do so I'll be burning vacation time. My sick leave rules are specific in that I must stay in my house unless seeing the doctor and I can only use it for me. Hence the massive buildup I have...

[midjd]

LOL! the only thing you can think of to do with your time (when not at work) is to sit and watch TV? Really?

That's a little presumptuous, don't you think?

[Abby Normal]

I don't call it "burning vacation" I call them Mental Health Days.

Every few months I take a day off and catch up on whatever crap has been piling up. Sometimes it's cleaning the house or running errands. Some times it's pajama day. Nothing says stress reducer like curling up with a good book - AND NO INTERRUPTIONS.

[giramomma]

Nov 5, 2012 11:46:15 GMT -5 midjd said:

LOL! the only thing you can think of to do with your time (when not at work) is to sit and watch TV? Really?

That's a little presumptuous, don't you think?

Most of the other things that were mentioned (purging, planning Christmas, etc) Are done before watching TV during the week. It's called getting it all done because it HAS to.

These days, if I stop moving, I fall asleep. It just happened again on Friday night. DH and I sat down to watch a tivoed episode of Bing Bang Theory. I was asleep within 8 minutes of sitting down.

So, I'd not only catch up on my tv shows, I'd eat food I don't want to share with my kids,I'd even take a nap, and take the longest, hottest shower I could.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I'd not only catch up on my tv shows, I'd eat food I don't want to share with my kids,I'd even take a nap, and take the longest, hottest shower I could.

[Deleted]

I wish I had that problem! Just take every friday off between now and Christmas.

[jeffreymo]

When I was younger, I burned quite a bit of vacation - my definition being that it just went away, no carryover, nor applying it to a sick accrual. I couldn't afford to miss work because I was learning so much at the time, and when I did take days off I would end up spending money I didn't have.

If I had the option I'd probably allocate it to sick time. Especially if you plan on having a child. The interruption in income is the one thing that my wife and I didn't forecast as well for our budget.

Right now I end up taking a bunch of Fridays off because my wife and I can't seem to align our schedules to take the typical weeklong vacation. We take lots of 3-4 day weekend trips. On those Fridays I take off, sometimes I will let our son stay home and we'll play outside, or I'll play video games and eat lunch with my buddies which are two things I never do otherwise.

[Formerly SK]

I'd save it for sick days, honestly. If you have even a remote idea of having a kid in the next few years, you'll blow through them during pregnancy and then afterwards, all the days you miss work because your LO is sick and can't go to DC. 17 days is not much. DH currently has 460 hours of sick time built up (they let you accrue 500).

Course, if you don't think you'll be with your employer in the next 3-5 years, what I said wouldn't apply.

You could always do a combo - take a mental health day and have some fun and bank the other days.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I would take either Mondays off, or Fridays off between now and the end of the year. (I've done this in the past, actually .... three day weekends ROCK!)

[cronewitch]

Take the three days before Thanksgiving if you got two days holiday to make a 9 day weekend.

[Tiny]

Nov 5, 2012 11:46:15 GMT -5 midjd said:

LOL! the only thing you can think of to do with your time (when not at work) is to sit and watch TV? Really?

That's a little presumptuous, don't you think?

Yeah, it was.

[Peace Of Mind]

I would either divide the time up for both sick days and vacation time to just do nothing or I'd attach weekends to Friday's and Monday's and have a bunch of long weekends (like both Justme and Molly suggested). Either way - It's a great problem to have!

[Phoenix84]

I've got some leave to burn before the end of the year too. We can only carry 240 hours over from the previous calendar year. Most of my excess leave will be burned by my holiday leave, but I am taking this Friday off. I won't do anything really, just hang around the house.

Mich1 does have a point though. Any major injury or illness will always burn throug your sick leave faster than you'd think. It may take 6-12 weeks, if not months to recover from a major surgery.

[midjd]

Thanks for all the responses

I think I am going to split it - take 3 days off and let the rest roll over.

In the past (but not this year) the state has offered to "buy out" any sick days in excess of 40 and put the funds into our deferred comp plans. If they were doing this in 2013, I'd definitely let all my vacation days roll over, but since they're not, moot point. I do hope they bring it back in 2014!

[Phoenix84]

At the federal level, they add our sick time to our length of service when figuring retirement. Meaning I can get 1-2 more years of service towards my pension.

[CarolinaKat]

I wish I had sick days As often as I get sick, and since I do plan on having kids sometime in the near-ish future, I would definately let it go to sick time. But I get the feeling you're healthier than I am

As for me I can only roll over 10 days (80 hours) and everything else is lost. I"m planning on rolling over the max this year if if I can, so I can actually take time off for my wedding in Feb.