As an employer, one side of me says
absolutely no. Staff should be available at all times. Behind their desks. Slaving
to make the company money. If you are asking me about myself? Guilt is a
killer. How do I quantify that time off? What if I am not available the entire
time? What if I am out of cell range? What if I miss an email?
I can state that I worked during lockdown. I
worked on weekends, I worked on public holidays. I feverishly chased up leads
and set up towards new markets. Even if there was no work, I found it. This,
combined with the total fear and anxiety that the world experienced during this
time, has left me exhausted. Unable to sleep. Listless.
I had applied for leave in January to go
down to Ramsgate for a long weekend in June. This obviously couldn’t happen and
so I ended up taking the leave days anyway. This was one of the best
investments in self I have ever permitted. I slept almost solidly. I was
deflated. I was destressed. And I realised that maybe, just maybe, the Earth
does not stop spinning if we are unavailable for a few days. It made me realise
just how strong and reliable my team are.
And it made me realise that time off is not
just a necessity but a fundamental requirement for being a human doing.
Be kind to yourself. Take the time.
