How to ask for and take time off without getting penalized

Summer is here. Even though most workplaces are not on an academic calendar, summer is still a time that many people choose to take vacations. Some of that decision is pragmatic—families with school-age children can bring their kids with them on a trip over the summer more easily than during the school year. Some of it is just that summer feels like a time when vacations ought to happen. If you’re worried about taking time off, you’re not alone. People often do not use all of their allocated vacation time, and companies that enable employees to take as much time off as they would like find ...