Five ways academics can protect their annual leave

How to take time off is something I’ve had to figure out for myself as an academic. Increasingly, though, as a line manager and mentor, I find the topic coming up in conversation with junior colleagues who are struggling to book annual leave. Sometimes that results in them losing their allowance, and in a sector with less and less security, our relatively generous provision should be protected at all costs. Forgoing annual leave also ends in burnout or academics taking huge periods off all at once, which then means a return so stressful it cancels out the benefit.

This piece was written with education-focused academics in mind, but if you have a heavier teaching load, or simply struggle to switch off, most of the points should apply to you, too. Year-round teaching provision means that few of us have a dedicated lighter semester, and when you add in summer exam boards and resits, it can seem like an impossible puzzle. There’s also an emotional component; many of us feel guilty for leaving our students and colleagues.

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So, here is the advice I have built up over the years to help you take your annual leave. The caveat to all this is that your institution, your work pattern and your life may mean these don’t neatly apply, so adjust as necessary. 

And none of this denies the very real workload issues that plague academia; it just helps manage where you do have control.

1. Block leave out in your diary at the start of the year 

Much activity in universities is known months in advance. But diaries fill up, and by the time you think to take leave, each week has something immoveable. My strongest recommendation is to review your diary at the start of the year and block out your leave, then redo this exercise every three or so months. You are much more likely to take leave if it’s in your diary than if you wait until there’s a clear week. Spoiler, there’s never, ever going to be a clear week unless you clear it. 

For colleagues with children, much of this will be shaped by school term dates, so you might be working around fixed constraints. But you also know your year, your life and your stress patterns best. Block off a long weekend mid-semester when you know you start getting crispy. You might only end up taking the Friday and not the Monday but it’s still more of a break than you’ll get if you leave it to chance.

2. Remember you don’t need to take a full week off 

December/January and July/August are likely your best bet for longer breaks (those in the southern hemisphere should adjust for your academic year) but you’re unlikely to get through your allowance without also taking shorter periods. A full week mid-semester often isn’t worth your inbox on the return but that doesn’t mean you can’t take two or three days, which is enough to give you a second wind but not enough that you’ll hate yourself on the other side. 

The same goes for a run of four-day weeks or long weekends. 

And if you do want a full week, it doesn’t have to be Monday to Monday; you can straddle a weekend and do Wednesday to Wednesday. You’ll be amazed how much easier being around for part of each week can be.

3. Learn from colleagues’ experience and mistakes 

Talk to colleagues who have been in the same role or teach the same subject you do. You can learn from their mistakes, and they will have nuanced advice for when taking leave works best. 

If you have children or other caring responsibilities, it is worth seeking out colleagues with the same constraints, because their solutions are likely to be more transferable than advice from someone whose leave planning looks quite different. 

This applies at any career stage, not just to junior colleagues. When I moved into my associate dean role last year, I was hit like a brick when August was busier than I was used to. So, it matters even more after a change in role.

4. Talk to the people your leave will affect 

Academia is a team sport. As part of your regular review exercise mentioned in the first point, check in with your admin team, your teaching team, your collaborators, your mentor and your line manager when blocking out your leave. This isn’t about people controlling your well-being; it’s how being part of a team works. Checking in advance lets you work around commitments and manage clashes, either by adjusting when you take leave or by agreeing alternative deadlines. And a quick reminder before any longer periods of leave kick in recognises that we work with humans who are liable to forget other peoples’ plans. That’s not controlling; that’s collegiality. 

One of the few remaining perks of academia is its relative flexibility but it’s not reasonable to expect total flexibility. In the decade I was first-year lead, I never took leave in Freshers’ Week because it was my job to be there, and that’s OK. 

Communicating also helps manage the guilt. If you check in, and your colleagues say there’s no issue, believe them.

5. Manage the periods before and after your leave 

For extended leave, ease the transition at both ends. Set your out-of-office notification a couple of days early to flag that you’re not off yet but soon will be, and block the morning of your first day back so you have space to get through your emails and get your head back in the game.

Above all, remember that you cannot pour from an empty jug. Your students and colleagues will be better served by a you who has had a rest. The work will still be there when you get back, and you’re not getting paid any more for not taking time to recharge.

Emily Nordmann is professor of evidence-informed education and associate dean of learning and teaching in the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow.