Nine Tips for a Relaxing Vacation for Tax Pros Who Can’t Unwind

I am terrible at taking vacation. My colleagues at Bloomberg Tax will back me up on this—as will almost everyone who has ever worked with me. Also? This isn’t something I’m proud of, and it’s something I have been actively working to improve.

I know that I am not alone. Americans are not great at taking vacations. Before the pandemic, over a third (36%) of Americans reported that they had not taken a vacation—defined as a leisure trip of at least a week to a destination 100 miles or more from home—in two years. Just over half (51%) had not taken a vacation in more than a year.

Some of the reasoning for this is practical—like not having enough time off. The US is the only advanced economy that does not guarantee workers paid vacation. As of 2019, no city or state in the US guarantees paid annual leave other than the territory of Puerto Rico. In contrast, European workers are guaranteed at least 20 paid vacation days per year, with some countries offering more.

We Don’t Take Time Off

But even those who have vacation time are reluctant to spend it. According to a 2019 survey by the US Travel Association, more than half of Americans (55%) are still not using all their paid time off. In 2018, American workers failed to use 768 million days of PTO—a 9% increase from 2017.

Why aren’t we taking vacation? Reasons include being scared that someone will decide you’re replaceable, worries that your team will resent you, and feeling like you can’t let go—even temporarily—of responsibilities. I know that I’m guilty of the latter. Maybe it’s a bit ego-driven, but I’m always convinced the world will fall apart without me. Spoiler alert: It hasn’t happened so far.

I think it’s particularly hard for professionals to take vacations. We are tasked, day in and day out, with managing clients, teams, and companies. Taking time off for ourselves feels selfish, but it’s not. In fact, I’d argue the opposite. Do you know how you feel when you’re tired and burned out? Do you think you’re doing anyone a favor by plugging along? Are you giving any project your full attention at that point?

The reality is that taking time for yourself is essential. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Here are a few tips that I’ve learned—and that I’m still learning—to help pave the way.

1. Set Expectations

At my first legal job, I was terrified to go on vacation. My boss made it clear that he didn’t think I should take time off, so I promised to check in regularly. My husband was none-too-thrilled when I insisted on stopping to call the office several times a day from London. He’s also a lawyer but made clear to his AmLaw firm that he was taking a break. He had the better idea. I should have set realistic expectations before I left the office and—this is the critical bit—followed through.

On our last trip to London, I took photos of phone booths instead of using them to call the office.

Image courtesy of Kelly Phillips Erb

2. Give Advance Notice

One of the reasons it’s hard to leave the office is the feeling that you’re going to miss something. The solution? Let your colleagues and clients know in advance that you’re going away. That way, you can have processes in place to deal with deadlines and those last-minute emergencies, leaving you free to breeze out the door without (much) worry.

3. Trust Your Team

I’m a control freak. I used to think that was a good thing because it meant that I cared, right? But it actually signals that you think you’re the only person who can do the work. To be fair, I’ve had my share of not-so-great workplace moments that have made me feel that way—a colleague and I once went through a string of temps that would make Murphy Brown blush. But that’s not how teams are supposed to work. Surround yourself with great people, set them up to succeed, and then trust them to do the work when you’re away. If you’ve set expectations and done the planning, you should be in good shape.

4. Don’t Give Out Your Cell Number

Many professionals give out their cell numbers to colleagues and clients. I used to, but I don’t anymore. My breaking point happened when I was out shopping with my kids over the weekend. My cellphone rang, and I saw that the call was from a party to a transaction happening the following week. I assumed it would go to voicemail, but it didn’t and instead rang, again and again, I thought it must be an emergency. The store didn’t have good reception, so I dragged the kids out to take the call. What was so important? The caller advised, as I stood on the sidewalk with three unhappy kids, that he had sent some information over for my review. I learned a lot about boundaries that day. When I’m out of the office, I only want those who respect my time to be able to reach me.

5. Don’t Be Afraid of Your Out-of-Office Message

I saw a tweet a few weeks ago that said, “Out-of-office messages are for the weak.” It annoyed me. Out-of-office messages serve a useful purpose. A great one explains when you’ll be away and who to contact in your absence. It signals to your clients—and reminds your colleagues—that you respect their time. And if a matter can’t wait for your return, there’s a system in place to take care of it. That’s much better than a late response, or worse, spending your vacation constantly checking email just in case there’s something you didn’t anticipate.

6. Unplug … If You Want

I see a lot of vacation tips advising you to unplug completely. That can be good advice. I also know that, if you’re like me, you’re likely not to take it. I know that I will want to know what’s happening, and not having access to my email and the internet will stress me out more than it will relax me. The key is to understand your limits and work around them. Unplug as much as you can—comfortably. If you’ve set yourself up for success, checking email and confirming that the world is still spinning without you isn’t so bad. And if your clients and colleagues respect your boundaries, they won’t abuse your limited time online.

7. Don’t Overdo

Remember what I said about Americans not taking a vacation? The result is that when we do go, we tend to plan one big week or two in the year, at the same time as everyone else, and then we overdo it. We eat too much. We drink too much. We try to ride every ride at the park and see every tourist attraction in the city. We schedule 10 cities in five days, so we don’t miss anything. And then we’re overwhelmed and tired. I get it, because I used to do this, too. But that’s not relaxing, and it means that when you get back, you’re just as tired as you were before you left—if not more so.

The view from our hotel balcony in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Image courtesy of Kelly Phillips Erb

Recently, when my family was in San Juan, we had to switch hotels. It had been a tiring few days. My husband grabbed a glass of wine and a book at the new space and settled onto the balcony. “I feel guilty,” he said, “like I should be doing something else.” I reminded him the whole point of switching hotels was to have a better experience. Focus on the good stuff, not what you think you might be missing.

8. Consider Alternatives

Paris has been at the top of my wish list of places to visit now that travel is opening back up. And my son is itching to go to Poland. My husband thought it would be fun to visit Madrid. Unfortunately, a host of factors have made those trips unworkable for a bit. But that doesn’t mean we had to give up time off altogether. Our solution? A staycation. We planned virtual travel days where we made food and drink from around the world, watched videos, learned a little bit of the language, and listened to lots of music. It was great fun—at a fraction of the price to travel.

Homemade pretzels for a virtual day in Munich

Image courtesy of Kelly Phillips Erb

If you take time off to staycation, stick to your guns. Don’t feel like you should work, including checking email and returning calls, just because you didn’t leave the house or the state. A day off is still a day off.

9. Share Your Snaps

This is the tip I hope you’ll take most seriously. Share photos. Tell your stories. Send a funny tweet. Normalize taking time for yourself, especially if you’re the boss or in a position of power at your workplace. Those young professionals are watching you. Even if you say to set boundaries and unplug, you lead by example. If you don’t ever step away, they won’t feel comfortable doing so either.

What Are You Waiting For?

I’ve heard from many tax, accounting, and legal professionals who feel burned out. I get it. It’s been a tough few years. And I’m not suggesting that taking a real vacation—one where you actually take time to relax—is going to completely fix that. But it’s definitely a start.

This is a regular column from Kelly Phillips Erb, the Taxgirl. Erb offers commentary on the latest in tax news, tax law, and tax policy. Look for Erb’s column every week from Bloomberg Tax and follow her on Twitter at @taxgirl.