Returning from vacation

For most people, taking a vacation is a relaxing, stress-free period that never quite lasts long enough (unless you're one of those people that has to check in with the office during vacation - often called a "working vacation" or "hell"). Whether it's an extra long weekend, a full week, or even two weeks, a vacation is something that you look forward to, especially if it's been a long time since your last one.

But there is one downside to a vacation (more than one if it's a working vacation, but in this case, we'll assume it's work-free). The downside is the last day of your vacation.

The last day of your vacation means the last day of sleeping in, the last day of goofing off, or the last day of doing absolutely nothing and getting paid for it. The last day of your vacation usually goes by the quickest too. But worst of all, the last day of vacation brings thoughts of your first day back at work.

For some people, the first day back at work is no different from any other day. People who work in restaurants, people who deliver newspapers, people who work in a mall kiosk - these people will likely return to work after a vacation and it will be like they never left because someone else filled in for them. All the work gets done and the next day the work begins anew.

However, people who work in offices know a different story. While most people have someone who covers their desk while they're away, the person doing the coverage is most likely handling emergencies and that's it. So any routine, day-to-day paperwork might start to pile up (this is because the person covering your desk is also covering their own desk, and maybe even the desk of someone else who is on vacation or out sick). As a result, you usually come back from vacation into a backlog of work, in addition to the normal work that makes its way to your desk during the day.

The worst part is, as an office worker, you KNOW that this is going to happen, which is what can really put a damper on the last day of your vacation. And there's nothing anyone can do about it - in today's high volume, high stress, results oriented world, there's only so much a person can do to cover your desk AND get all of their work done in a matter that is satisfactory to management. Covering your desk is no prize for your co-workers, because they know that management is going to want to see results regardless of how many people were out of the office that week.

So while vacation is a much-needed break that most of us have earned with all of our hard work, the thought of coming back to a pile of paperwork three feet high can be enough to make those last few hours of vacation less than enjoyable. It's enough to make you want to call out sick the next day, if only to postpone the inevitable for another 24 hours. Actually, that sounds like a pretty good idea... (cough, cough)

Do you have any post-vacation horror stories? Do you work in a place where this type of scenario usually happens? Or is your place of employment the kind where you never have to stress about coming back from vacation? Share your stories with us by leaving a comment.