My Hot Take on Summer Vacation!

Summer is the time where kids are usually out of school and acting in their own carefree ways. They take part in fun activities like swimming, playing at the park, watching a summer movie, and staying up past bedtime. Normally this is a time to recharge and not worry about completing any assignments or doing any tests. However, as we become adults, we lose the privilege of that fun summer vacation we once enjoyed as kids. I mean, if you are a parent or a teacher you technically get to enjoy a summer vacation. But if you are a single, adult working a full-time job like me, well those summer vacations are nothing but history. You can try to take some time off during this time, but it can’t be as long as the usual length of 3 months. (Also on a side tangent, I know the Phineas and Ferb theme song states that there’s “104 days of summer vacation,” but that is not the case since some states start school in early August like mine). The point is that the summer season is considered a sacred time for society because that is when many people want to take a nice, long break from their responsibilities and partake in fun activities while the weather is nice outside. Therefore, my hot take is that ADULTS SHOULD HAVE MANDATORY SUMMER VACATIONS just like they had when they were young and carefree. Please note that I am writing this near the end of July when summer vacation is almost over for a lot of people.

When you were attending school growing up, typically the year started in the fall and ended right before the summer season started. Then we got what felt like an eternal summer break, and once it was over, our year “officially” started again in the fall. However, as a working adult, we experience the usual calendar year because that “eternal” summer vacation is “nonexistent” in the working world. The summer is supposed to be spent going to the beach, cooling off from the hot weather, watching the biggest blockbuster movies, eating ice cream, traveling. We are not meant to be spending that time sitting in a desk at work for many hours. In historical context, the so-called “summer vacation” was created during the Industrial Age when 8-hour workdays were becoming common which brought out worker protections since there was no air conditioning making the working conditions unbearable due to the summer heat. The same was also said for kids that didn’t want to show up for school during the hottest months. (https://blog.tcea.org/summer-break-history/).  Thanks to advanced technology creating air conditioning, most workplaces are comfortable now during the summer months, but we are still working long hours. This goes back to employees being overworked and burnt-out, especially when adults are not used to working full-time during the summer. It could also work for parents who have kids that need care during the summer when school is out, and that is difficult when they are working a lot. Some people try to take some time off during the summer, but depending on how much vacation time is allotted, it could be much shorter. If corporations could allow employees to have the standard summer vacation like students usually have, then that would lead to higher productivity and a low turnover rate for employees. If society allows kids to have summer break for school to recharge, then the same should be applied to ALL adults (not just educators). And I know many of you right now, or have been just sitting in your desks at work and daydreaming about not working during the summer. In my personal experience, this is my first time working a full-time job during the summer since I have quit/gotten fired before that time in my other full-time jobs. Even while I am working, I don’t have the motivation to do anything because I rather be doing the normal summer activities.

Now I will say with a bit of a disclaimer that some people, like college or high school students have to work a summer job between the breaks so they can make some money. That was me when I was home during the summer for college when I needed to make money. It is fine considering it is a part-time job as long as it doesn’t take up a majority of the entire summer. Just like a full-time regular job, a summer job should also have that same work/life balance aspect, so everyone can enjoy the summer without stressing about that seasonal job they also have to work. In my experience, at least my summer job had air conditioning, but it was still pretty stressful since it involved dealing with difficult custoemrs and being on your feet all the time. Also, not all jobs are able to have a mandatory summer vacation as some are considered essential like first responders. Similar to the pandemic lockdowns, all non-essential businesses should let their employees have a long mandatory summer vacation doing whatever they want and then come back in the fall ready to work again.

Summer should be a time of freedom and relaxation for everyone, not just for school students. It is the longest season where you can achieve a lot of things on your bucket list. It shouldn’t be wasted by being stuck at work all day. If I was in charge of things for society, I would require all corporations to give their full-time employees a mandatory summer vacation like how schools do. Even if a job can’t fulfill a mandatory summer vacation, then we should at least still try to take some time off during the summer even if we need to work for an income. Productivity and morale would be much higher because of this mandatory vacation. We as a society should try to keep moving forward in achieving the perfect work-life balance, and having a mandatory summer vacation for adults is the way to start.

For those that are working full-time (or even part-time) jobs during the summer like me, I hope you try to squeeze in some time to enjoy whatever is left of the summer season. I for one am trying to make time to see the biggest superhero blockbuster movies of the summer. I already saw DCU’s Superman, and I am hoping to see the new Fantastic Four Marvel movie. Other than that, I wish I could have more time to sleep in during the summer which is one of the many common activities. Wishing we could all have that Phineas and Ferb type of summer with endless possibilities (and I do kind of “blame” the show for creating the ideal summer vacation that is completely nonexistent, but I still enjoy watching it). The same should also be said for the holiday break during Christmas and New Year’s.