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It’s summer! How are you going to use your vacation?

A good vacation can be one of the most relaxing things you can do for yourself. Whether you prefer the beach, camping, or grilling out in your backyard, down time is something we all need. Unfortunately, we’re not all getting this much needed time to relax. Can you relate?

In the United States, there’s no minimum vacation or holidays that companies are required to provide to workers. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that 77% of employers offer paid vacation time. On average, employers give ten days of vacation after one year of employment. The number of vacation days grows based upon tenure. After twenty years, most employees receive twenty days of vacation. In addition to vacation, many companies offer holidays.

It’s interesting to compare our vacation to other places. In France, employees are granted a minimum of five weeks of vacation. In Australia, the minimum is four weeks. In Belgium, the minimum is twenty-four days. In Denmark, the minimum is five weeks. Now, it’s not to say that there aren’t other countries with smaller vacations. In some areas of Canada, the minimum is ten days, for example.

But, what are we really doing with our two weeks of vacation? You probably guessed it. In many cases, not much. I recently heard an interesting term, “vacation shaming.” It’s an all too familiar idea where employers place negative feelings and shame around the idea of taking time off.

This vacation shaming causes us to feel uncomfortable requesting time away. Despite receiving two weeks of vacation each year, many Americans are only taking about half of it, according to a survey conducted by Glassdoor.com.

Even if we are taking vacation time, many of us are staying plugged in. We answer emails, take phone calls, and sometimes attend meetings remotely. There’s a fear of getting into trouble and losing our job while we’re out.

For employees who do choose to take vacation, some companies set rules that limit the options available. For example, a company may have a policy that an employee may not take more than four or five consecutive days in a row. For those with an international destination in mind, this can really limit the options.

Being successful at work if often tied to being the best version of yourself that you can be. And, that requires you to take care of yourself. Vacation is a great place to start on this goal.

If you’re looking for a new job, do your best to learn about the company’s policy about taking vacation, both official and unofficial. Many online review sites can provide an employee perspective.

Then, don’t forget that vacation time is negotiable – just like salary. When you negotiate your offer letter, know that you can ask for additional time off.

In the long run, taking time for yourself is more important than any amount of vacation shaming. We all need a break sometimes.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

 

171 | 2018 HR Trends | Paul Wolfe, SVP of Human Resources at Indeed.com, Austin, TX

Episode 171 is live! This week, we talk with Paul Wolfe in Austin, TX.

Paul is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at the world’s largest job website, Indeed.com.

I interviewed Paul last year about hiring trends and am so excited to be back together to talk about 2018 trends.

On today’s episode, Paul shares:

  • The pros and cons of an unlimited vacation policy
  • The latest update on the interview question “how much do you make?”
  • Why “radical transparency” is important in your job search and what you can find on Indeed, such as salary data and company reviews
  • Why equality in the workplace is such an important issue and what we can all do to contribute
  • New benefit trends for 2018
  • How to identify a great company that treats their employees well
  • What you should do if you’re interested to work at Indeed

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Paul’s work, visit Indeed at www.indeed.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter at @PWolfe67.

Thanks to everyone for listening! Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!

Don’t let your vacation stop you from switching companies

One of the number one reasons people are hesitant to switch jobs is because of their vacation time. They start with one or two weeks of vacation each year at their company. Then, as they stay at their job for a few years, more days are added on. After a while, they may find that they have earned four or five weeks of vacation per year. This much vacation can truly be life changing. And, all that vacation time took years to earn. It makes you not want to leave. Can you relate?

One of the biggest secrets to interviewing for a new job is this. Vacation time is negotiable. In other words, you can ask for more. This especially true at big corporations – for office jobs.

I get it. There’s a company handbook. The human resources team lays out the rules. Everyone starts with two weeks. When you start a new job, you start over.

In reality, everyone starts out with two weeks, until they negotiate for more. When you are negotiating your job offer, along with pay and your start date, you can negotiate for more vacation. Don’t get me wrong. You can’t ask for more of everything. If you ask for more vacation, you may not want to ask for ask for more money.

Often, it is actually easier for a company to give you more vacation than it is to give you more money. On the surface, this can be surprising, because many employees value vacation more than they value a few extra dollars.

If you’re thinking of switching, don’t let your current vacation stop you from looking for a new job. It’s very possible that your new job will be open to the idea of matching your current vacation time.

Wait until you have a job offer in hand to ask for more vacation. Then, ask if there’s room for negotiation around the amount of vacation. Explain that you love the new job, but that you have earned a certain level of vacation time at your current company. You would hate to lose that time.

In all likelihood, you’ll ask this question to the human resources recruiter. That person will have to talk this over with the hiring manager. Then, they’ll let you know if your request is approved.

If they do decide to approve your request, there’s one important thing not to forget. Get it in writing. Increased vacation days are often an agreement between you and your manager. If your current manager were to leave the company, how would your new manager know about the agreement? At a bare minimum, get your approved vacation time in an email, so that you could share it with a new manager.

It’s as simple as that. If you ask for more vacation, you very well might get it. It doesn’t always work. But, if you don’t ask, you will never know.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

 

136 | Indeed Interactive – Paul Wolfe, Austin, TX

Episode 136 is live! This week, we talk with Paul Wolfe in Austin, TX.

Paul is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Indeed.com. He oversees all global human resource functions, including talent acquisition, employee retention, compensation, benefits, and employee development. Paul has over 15 years of experience as a human resources executive having served as a VP and SVP at number of well-known companies, including Match.com, Orbitz, Conde Nast and Ticketmaster.

On today’s episode, Paul shares what benefits employees want, including unlimited paid time off, loan assistance, and increased parental leave.

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Paul or Indeed, visit the Indeed website at www.indeed.com.

Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.

Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!