How much vacation do you take in December?

[tszaboo]

For Christmas or Hanukkah or the Happy Holidays or the december celebration of your liking? Or in January, celebrating because of the Orthodox calendar? I think we are from different parts of the world, it would be interesting to see how much difference there is.

I personally took the Dec 20 - Jan 4 as holiday. It was all the remaining days of my annual leave plus 1 day for 2018. Took a plane back to home today (woke up 4:30 AM), I'm going to spend time with my family.

[CJay]

This year, for the first time in, I think, 19 years I'm taking Christmas off, I finish on Friday, probably lunchtime, and will not be back in the office until 2nd Jan.

I'll be tearing what's left of my hair out by the 27th.

[Pack34]

I've typically only been able to take off the day before or day after.

January 1st has always been a cut-off for fiscal year projects and orders. I always get roped into helping production get everything done in time. With this is always the attempt to get as many deliverables done for custom projects.

Then you have the rush for first half of Q1 trade shows to demo new products.

[GreyWoolfe]

Right now, I have Christmas off.  Depending on our client, we may have 12/26 off as Christmas eve, which will also be holiday pay.  If our client decides business as usual on 12/26, then we get holiday pay and regular pay.  This is typically an 11th hour decision-sometime on Friday the decision will be made.  Gotta love government agencies.

[suicidaleggroll]

I typically take the week between Christmas and New Years off.  So I'll be in this Friday, then gone until Jan 2.

[rdl]

When I worked I'd always make sure I saved enough vacation days to get an entire 9 day weekend to weekend stretch at minimum.

[Avacee]

I always offer to work during Christmas as I'm single with no kids - likewise I always work through Easter, the Summer Holidays and the half-term breaks and then holiday during cheaper and quieter times

It's a win-win as workmates with families appreciate it and during Christmas can enjoy near zero interruptions and get more work done overall. 
I often work from home but over Christmas I'll be in the office to man the non-ringing phone and as an added bonus one of the directors usually treats the few people present to a slap up lunch/beer fest courtesy of the company credit card. 

As for any manager who proposes roll-outs/cut-offs/etc around New Year I promise them I'll re-direct all enquiries to their home/mobile/boss 
So far that threat has only been tested once and I'm fairly confident it won't be tested again

[coppice]

Lots of people take much of December off, just to use up all their accrued vacation before they lose it.

[Gyro]

I remember CES always being a looming threat over the Christmas break (or sudden absence thereof).

[JPortici]

I'll be tearing what's left of my hair out by the 27th.

 

luckily for me we have to go in for inventory on 27-29
we should be closed on first week of january but i may have to go in anyway to check on some software/firmware that has to be ready for monday... or i'll spend all that week snowboarding 

[Yansi]

Simply: None.

[babysitter]

27 to end of december, as I usually try to do. This year, for the first time, I burn some holidays each friday in december, giving myself a 4-day work week. It's great. I would like to stick to this scheme, now. Always. Maybe one day wage will rise enough to scrap one work-day each week or each second week (having kids at kindergarten age: holidays urgently needed)

[ajb]

This year and last year we've been given between christmas and NY off.  We'll see family on christmas (eve and day) and friends at NY, but we'll probably spend the time between at home.

Last year I used that wonderfully quite and relatively interruption-free week to develop the proof of concept for a big deal project I'm now working to actually implement.  My boss has already asked me what new big thing I'm planning to show him this coming Jan 2nd  . 

At the moment I don't have any projects planned, though, so I'll probably take advantage of the quiet time to get some work done on the current project.  I really enjoy the work, and it will be directly and indirectly lucrative for the company (which means it will be lucrative for me!), so getting some time to work on it in peace is as good as a vacation as far as I'm concerned.

[spudboy488]

What ever is left for the year (no roll-overs here).

An old friend once said, "A vacation day not taken is a vacation day lost forever!"

[AndyC_772]

I work for myself, so no "time off" as such.

Typically I won't work Christmas Day or Boxing day, or weekends (unless there's a compelling need). Other days I'll maybe work shorter hours, to give myself a bit of a rest but still get things done.

I find working at 50% duty cycle for two days is much easier than doing a full day, then taking a whole day off (which I inevitably spend wondering what else I could be doing with the time, which I'd get paid for).

[Urs42]

It is the same as every year i'm at the Chaos Communication Congress https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_Communication_Congress from 26-31.12. and back to work on Jan 3th

[capt bullshot]

Usually from one or two days before Christmas until 2nd or 3rd of January. That is the time the company closes down (for "normal" employees, some are supposed to work during this period, e.g. IT folks and financial). Mostly it's a nice time to find some rest at home during the days between Christmas and New Years Eve, but sometimes I would have liked to go to work (wasn't possible of course) - for having some more freely available vacation days and a quiet environment at work.

This year, everything is different, I'm on "vacation" for the whole December and probably part of January due to a rupture of my Achilles' tendon. Also had to spend some days in the local hospital for surgery. Got a nice new boot now

[Tepe]

December 25 and 26 as well as January 1 are public holidays. That's enough for me.

[German_EE]

Being semi-retired has its advantages. I stopped work today and I won't restart until January 3rd 2018 

[vodka]

Here, dependly if the corporation gives the school holidays(22-december until 8-January) or the 5 or 7 days (Eve Christmas ,Christmas,Saint Steve,New Years Eve,New year, and The Kings)

[CatalinaWOW]

27 to end of december, as I usually try to do. This year, for the first time, I burn some holidays each friday in december, giving myself a 4-day work week. It's great. I would like to stick to this scheme, now. Always. Maybe one day wage will rise enough to scrap one work-day each week or each second week (having kids at kindergarten age: holidays urgently needed)

My workplace had a work schedule called 9/80, which is working nine hour days Monday through Thursday, with an eight hour day every other Friday.  Others had a similar work schedule called 8/80.  Ten hour days Monday through Friday.  It is usually invoked as a way for companies to meet their requirements to reduce the amount of automobile trips for pollution or traffic control purposes, but once employees have tasted consistent three day weekends they never want to go back.  While all sorts of arguments are placed about losses or increases in productivity it was very difficult for me to observe much difference from the standard 10/80 schedule.  Since engineers are not typically on a time clock the total hours do tend to drop a bit on these schedules, but efficiency improves a similar bit.

You might investigate these options with your employer.  Most won't want to do it without outside influences, but the need to reduce pollution/traffic congestion is widespread and often driven legislatively.

[boffin]

None, we're not allowed any in November or December (I do Unix support for a large eCommerce organization).

In fact I'm working 1200-2000 on Christmas Eve as well, which is when the boxing day sales go live.

[BrianHG]

I pretty much take off mid December to mid January.  I like to avoid the whole holiday traffic and hustle and waiting for thing to settle back to normal in the new year.  I'm currently stocked up on food and supplies for my near hibernation...
But, I am still on emergency call, or special contracts at 5x price.

[Dai Corner]

When I worked in the private sector I worked every day the office was open over Christmas. Being single and childless I was happy to let colleagues with kids have the time off. Same with school holidays.

Later, I worked as IT Manager at a school which shut down for the two weeks. I kept an eye on things remotely.

Now, as a full time pensioner, the question doesn't arise!

[marcus_cdn]

At the factory where I work, there's a shutdown beginning dec. 22nd until jan. 08th.

Precious time to spend with family & relax a bit.