National Leave Work Early Day is TODAY, June 2

Steven Tarlow — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:09:24 +0000

There’s a whole wide world out there

We work because we have to, we work because we look to contribute and develop our lives professionally. Sometimes, we even do it because we enjoy the professional comradeship. But when it comes down to it, everybody’s working for the weekend. This is a scientific fact, proven via the much-esteemed, in-depth studies of one Dr. Loverboy.

But finding that work-life balance can be tough. There’s always more to be done, and the comforts of home and family tend to be pushed further away with each new task that crosses your desk. That’s why doctors everywhere (including the good Dr. Loverboy) have endorsed National Leave Work Early Day. That day is TODAY, June 2, 2009.

Find an excuse, do what you must

Everyone must attend. This is a holiday of monumental significance to the nation’s mental health, and who can deny it? The recession has everyone putting in the OT for their rainy day funds (or simply to make ends meet). Payday lenders and their fast payday loans are there to help cover the gaps, but sometimes even that isn’t enough. Flee the general area of work, because the financial problems will be there either way; you’ll solve them eventually. And when you do go, don’t use you computer or smartphone to stay connected. E-mail, IM and VPNs are verboten. Personal time, family time, exercise time, hobby time or just good old-fashioned goofing off time are doctor’s orders.

You might wonder who came up with this brilliant idea. National Leave Work Early Day was created by author and productivity expert Laura Stack. It original intention wasn’t so much to just slack off, but to actually take productive advantage of non-work time. Speaking of taking back time, there’s even a group called Take Back Your Time. They conducted a survey of the American workforce in 2008, and here’s what they found. Prepare yourself, because the results are quite tragic. More than one in four American workers (26 percent) took no vacation at all. Another survey found that 60 percent don’t even plan to take time off work over the next six months. Of course, considering the state of our finances, many couldn’t afford a vacation if they took one.

Other holidays today

Leave it to me, they’ll be having more fun than you are at work (except perhaps Saint Erasmus). de Sade will DEFINITELY be having more fun, even though he’s dead…

If India thinks we should cut back…

Perhaps it’s simply a push on their part to take more of our jobs. Seriously, Ash Gee writes for Nhatky.in (yes, even India knows about National Leave Work Early Day, so what’s wrong with you, America?) that the 40-hour workweek is a foreign concept for too many people. Why do in 40 what you can do in 80? That is what they might say.

“You can get your life back,” writes Laura Stack in her book “Leave the Office Earlier.” “You’ll have the same responsibilities, but you’ll learn to do them in less time.” If you need more convincing, there are more survey results for your survey-perusing pleasure:

A March 2009 survey by Microsoft noted that Americans work 45 hours per week on average
More than a third of those hours are not entirely productive
Weekly meetings, averaging 5.5 hours, accomplish little according to 71 percent of U.S. workers
Two thirds of Americans feel they don’t have a healthy work/life balance
Procrastination, lack of communication and useless meetings sap productivity

What does the National Leave Work Early Day founder suggest?

Laura Stack has a number tips for leaving the office early. Chief among them is that we need to learn how to be assertive in the office setting.

“I’ve rarely, if ever, seen someone be fired because they said, ‘I can’t attend the meeting’ or ‘I have to leave at 5,’” she said. “You can always get another job; you can’t get another family.”

Another important aspect of getting the most out of your working time so that you don’t need extra time to complete your required tasks is mastering how you use technology. E-mail is a world-famous productivity killer, so use labels, folders and filters to prioritize messages by their importance. Rather than allowing it to be a constant interruption to your work, make it work for you.

Finally, a couple of quick tips from Stack to send you on your National Leave Work Early Day. You’ll have that much more time to make it to the payday lenders for fast payday loans that way:

Start meetings before 4 p.m. and insist on ending by 4:30 p.m. The best meeting time: right after lunch.

Start small. Pick a single day to leave earlier and work that day more carefully. As your productivity skills rise, add more days.