Tuesday 18 December 2012

"Holiday Credit" - a worthy experiment?

Apparently, working in the month of December* (applies to all holiday seasons) generates mixed feelings. On a tragic note, there is always a feeling that holiday time is not optimally utilized. Being in nature (rather brainstorming in the nature) is always preferred than brainstorming on a desk, any disputes? On a better note though, with a very few in the office (read no bosses :p), the work environment is much more relaxed giving time for more coffees and more radical thoughts and laughter. And with no immediate pressure of deadlines a.k.a. sliding, one can work quite leisurely spend time exploring untouched long thought ideas...

In my Singapore experience, the pressure cooker corporate environment might actually turn worse (read hostile) for a few, specially on a Business (One u think money, you always think of money) front. There are a few souls who are not lucky enough to take holidays when they desperately desire. Now, for me, emancipation's top item in a corporate set-up is freedom to plan your holiday and in no circumstances it can be traded off for money. But then there are bills to pay and other societal pressures and hence the compromise. Worst still, there are few who have to soak their souls in the office even when they are on an official holiday. Totally appalling!!! Pity, huh!!! But then what is the solution, any way out?

Talking to colleagues Roshan and Merugu over coffee on a cloudy evening I believe, "Holiday Credit" - a credit on the lines of carbon credit that lead to Kyoto protocol could lead to an acceptable solution. Holidays have to be fairly monetized just like carbon credit monetizing carbon emissions. The set number of holidays provided by an employer can not have an equal weight and only a trade on them can lead to an optimal valuation. As an example, the vacation during the holiday season should obviously be valued much more than the vacation during the other times. And the demand and supply in the market should lead to an optimal value for holidays. This way, one can borrow/buy holidays finding a replacement for one's  work and the seller (money making souls) can be adequately compensated for her sacrifice. 

Most importantly, an avid traveler - yours truly, can plan loooong vacations (e.g. Antartica, Arctic, Himalaya and the endless list) in lull periods and compensate with spending time in the office during holiday season compensating for the colleagues if required. If there is any term called "team work", the Holiday credit would certainly fructify it. At least, it should be an experiment- worth a try. What do you say?   
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* Recounting, this is only second December since 2006 that I am actually working... 

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