Should You Ask for More Vacation Time?

Summary: This article addresses whether you should ask for vacation time and if so, how you should go about doing it.

Question: I’m considering employment with a particular company, but I’ve been with my current employer for 10 years and have earned four weeks of vacation. The new company allows only two weeks of vacation. During my interview, when I asked about extending their vacation policy for me to four weeks, they held firm. Is there another way to approach this company and others about this issue, or is it common for companies to disregard what a candidate has accumulated in vacation time elsewhere?

Answer: To be frank, when considering your many reasons for changing jobs, vacation time should not rank highly on your list. If you’re moving to find greater challenges, new responsibilities, more money or to escape a bad boss—to name just a few reasons—the amount of vacation time you receive should be weighed in relation to the primary benefits you’ll be achieving. If time off is really critical to you, mention it early on in the negotiation process when salary is discussed. For example, you might say, “The salary range for this position is fair, however, receiving four weeks of vacation time is equally important to me.” If it really is, then offer to accept a slightly lower compensation package to offset the added weeks off.