Vacation ethics

The dilemma is simple: I get next Tuesday off for Christmas (thanks, Christians) but I don’t get Christmas Eve off. I have a Monday gap. The same goes for New Years and New Years Eve. These floating days off in the middle of the week sound like “well you’d take those weeks off anyway.”

Wrong.

What if I don’t want to take the time off? What if I want to get lots done while everyone else is at home? What if I don’t celebrate Christ-related or late-night-binge-drinking holidays? I’m forced to shut down along with the rest of the country?

Okay, fine.

But I have no work to do on Monday. I have no clients to work with on Monday. Why don’t we just get Monday off, too? Hmm, I’m faced with the following:

• Go to the office and sit there, alone, refreshing my email and trying to find something to do that will help develop my career.
• Take the vacation day because I’m essentially forced to since everyone else is.
• Work from home even though it’s not permitted and even though there will be nothing to do. Oh, and nobody would be around to notice.

What would you do in this situation?