Career Clinic: Should I cancel my Christmas holiday?

Two weeks with the family? I'd be glad of a few days back in the office. And Brownie points into the bargain. A win-win situation.

Anonymous -17 Dec 2009 | 12:54

Ham up how much you have planned to do over Christmas and how hard you have worked to clear your desk; but then offer to cancel your plans and come in if the team really needs you, leaving a contact number.

Odds are nobody will call. I have done this for years and never had to work a single Christmas.

Skiver -17 Dec 2009 | 14:02

Don't Do it

I'm with Skiver.

You obviously have the holiday entitlement left over and, don't forget, you may lose it if you don't use it. You'll find that clients are very understanding about Christmas and that, in any case, wherever there's a third party involved, it's going to be very difficult to get anything done until 5th Jan - have a holiday. Speaking as one who nearly lost my family because I was too committed to work, I know the pitfalls of this kind of attitude all too well. They won't remember when it's promotion time. Do what Skiver suggests and relax with a G&T while playing whatever game your kids get for Christmas with them. If anyone calls - tell them you're in Scotland.

Consultant -18 Dec 2009 | 15:59

What could possibly really need doing between Christmas and new year? Unless of course you are at a US/UK giant, in which case should you really be asking yourself the question? Of course you need to be there, or even if you don't you need to be there, you need to be seen to be there if you want a future there...

Anonymous -21 Dec 2009 | 11:59

Sometimes I think these questions are made up. Why would an adult professional be asking this question? Can't you make up your own mind? It's a bit like saying: "I'm a bit hungry, do you think i should get something to eat?"

anon -21 Dec 2009 | 17:32

Your attitude in asking this question and the attitudes of some of the other posters in their answers show why the legal profession suffers from so many divorces and the associated problems that go with it. Christmas is one of the few times of a lawyer's year when you really can say to clients that you are spending it with your family.
A Christmas with the family is a memory you can keep forever. If you have children they will appreciate the opportunity to spend quality time with you. They will not say it now, but will remember it later in life.
A holiday season in the office will be like the rest of the year. Only you'll be frustrated because half of the country is spending it away from the workplace, so you will not get much done. This will include your clients and contacts.
You are entitled to take holiday and it has been authorised by the firm. Take it. For God's sake if you offer to cancel, they'll take it for granted that you'll do this every time. And they'll have the shirt off your back into the bargain.
If people ask you why you're not at work over Xmas, tell them that "A Christmas Carol" is a 19th century story. Like Ebenezer Scrooge, you have had a Damscene conversion and discovered the magic of Xmas.
If you really want to throw philosophy into it, take a look at Professor Andrew Oswald's work on happiness. He says that pursuit of money does not buy happiness.

high street solicitor -23 Dec 2009 | 14:31

Welcome to the partnership!

Let’s see: (a) are things at home that bad you don’t want to spend time with your family; and (b) are you so lacking in life skills that the only alternative you can think of is to come to work? Are you perhaps stuck in a loveless marriage with a girl that you thought “would do”, bearing in mind: (a) the difficulties of taking an evening off to go on a date; and (b) her placid demeanour that allows her to accept your constant cancellations of theatre trips and comedy nights? Maybe you have a couple of kids because you thought that was what people do when they get to your age, but you can’t bear the sight of them because they remind you that you mortgaged your 20s in the hope of riches and plumped for the only girl you thought would have you?

If so, then yes, cancel your Christmas holiday. In fact, welcome to the partnership! That’s just the kind of energetic go-getting attitude needed. And now you can use your rich rewards on: (a) childcare; (b) school fees; (c) expensive holidays and gifts to make up for your absenteeism; (d) psychologist consultations for your kids, and maybe even drug rehab; and (e) an expensive divorce when you find your seemingly less placid wife has been tupping the expensive personal trainer you let her hire to get back into shape after the second kid. Yes 'tupping'. It’s a Shakespearean word. You’ll find it in Othello, you must have seen it at the theatre? Oh, no, wait a minute, you cancelled that trip because that PPM needed another turn and you were the only one for the job (out of a group of other people with equivalent skills and no plans that evening).

All of which is an overlong and over-sarcastic way of saying I hope you went on your Christmas holidays and left the BlackBerry in a drawer. No client, with any decency, and I even include myself in that, will give a rat’s derriere what you do once that final big bit of pre-Christmas work is done, so anyone who is coming in between Christmas and NY either hasn’t made their hours to get that insignificant bonus or is just a stone-cold loser.

Stupot -06 Jan 2010 | 14:16

All very amusing and absolutely on the money to boot - apart from the 'twixt Xmas and new year bit in the last post. Granted, it's all in the timing, but next year, why not try taking five or six days off before chrimbo, pack in all the eager anticipation, party-planning, kids' over-excitement, carolling, and general festive merry-making that you can handle, then dawdle in after Boxing day for a gentle, undisturbed 10 til 4 run at putting another point on your suddenly slightly less underwhelming bonus, thereby dodging the deflation and disappointments of the post-yuletide work-out, and shooting the black dog that is making the big return to work after new year, all in one mighty fell swoop. Recommended.

Anonymous -06 Jan 2010 | 17:02

Anonymous partner?

“Suddenly slightly less underwhelming bonus”?! “point”?! Hmm, are we an anonymous partner perchance? Yes, granted, if you can take a decent holiday in the run up to Christmas you’ve missed one of the busiest bits of the year, and it’s a cracking scam if you can get it signed off. But in non-partner land that it’s likely to lead to your holiday either being cancelled, or you faffing about turning “could you just” and “would you mind awfully” requests on your home computer. Because no one likes an irate client, and sadly our finance guys just love doing stuff before year end... which usually means just before Christmas.

Either that, or if you truly ignore the office (as you should), you’ll suffer the evil eye from partners on your return... just in time for your annual appraisal with its discretionary bonus element. Oopsie! Or, you could take the Christmas to NY period off, come back in, deal with that scary black dog at the same time as your clients are, and have a nice quiet January because your in-house chums are feeling exactly the same way.

But, if you’re a partner, go right ahead, take the anonymous recommendation above, leave your assistants in the office in the middle of the pre-Christmas rush, and send the occasional “just checking in” email from your BlackBerry. Maybe even call in a couple of times when the in-laws are driving you mad, and then act like an insufferable martyr for virtually all of Q1 because you’ve “worked” from home on your holiday and then come in over the holiday period. In fact, why not push the boat out, come in over the holiday period and curry favour with your assistants and secretaries in the absence of client pressures and encourage them to go home “early”. You could maybe even buy them lunch one day. Maybe take them out for team drinks, and revel in how they laugh at your jokes and smile when they see you. Because they do like you. Really they do.

Lordy, I’ve lapsed into sarcasm again, must be that January black dog!

Stupot -07 Jan 2010 | 09:44