Every employee should rest during vacation. That is how the legislature in Austria has regulated it, too. But for some people there are situations in which they end up working on their vacation. The motives vary widely for why people get around the working-on-vacation law.

working on vacation law

Working on Vacation Law - Some Employers Get Around It

Emily is glad she got the job in the office of a mid-sized company in Denver. She had searched for a long time and had been unemployed for almost nine months. The new employer pointed out that the company always has a lot going on and that a certain level of commitment would be expected. She had no idea back then what that would mean.

Because vacation is important for employees:

  • Rest for body, mind and soul
  • Switching off
  • Recharging your batteries
  • Time for family
  • Travel
  • Pursuing hobbies

Even during the probationary period it quickly became clear that she had to work a minimum of ten to eleven hours every day. Many colleagues also took work home for the weekend. She got around it by sometimes working 15 hours on Fridays.

Then came her first big vacation and she was really looking forward to it, but the vacation looked very different. The working on vacation law was not observed. She was expected to come into the office for employee reviews and was constantly called by colleagues, so that she sometimes spent two to three hours a day on the phone. Once she even drove four hours to the office to help out.

Working on Vacation Law and Failing to Follow the Rules

Susan works for a married couple who manage celebrities. He is a lawyer and she handles marketing. A thriving business, and at first Susan was very glad to still land a job like this at 50. But that changed over time.

Patricia, the boss, quickly offered her first-name terms. Susan works 12 hours a day, since it can't be managed any other way. She can't even look forward to the weekend anymore, because then the phone rings and it's Patricia on the line. She has even shown up at Susan's front door once.

She always wants to know what Susan is doing. She knows no boundaries. Then she brings her something back from her vacation or gives her gift cards when she notices Susan is flagging. Vacation is difficult, since Patricia constantly disrupts it. How much longer she can stand it is questionable. But right now she has no other choice and has put up with it for four years.

The Working on Vacation Law Must Be Followed

A prisoner, as if in a golden cage. A great salary, then a spa weekend gets paid for now and then, and expensive cosmetics are handed out as gifts. But private life fell by the wayside. This shouldn't happen, yet it keeps happening!