HILL STAFF VIEWS: Only 1 in 3 Staffers Use All Available Leave Time
(QUICK READ) — This will likely shock nobody who has ever worked as a congressional aide on Capitol Hill, but a recent CNCT Capitol Pulse staff survey found that slightly more than a third, 37 percent, of respondents take advantage of all the available time off.
Taking it easy once in a while is self-care. (Photo by Jackson Simmer on Unsplash)
Working for a senator, representative or committee can be day after day of 10-12 hour days, punctuated by a few here and there of relative calm, plus the predictable work-a-ramas — especially in September, October and even occasionally in November — in which the day doesn’t end until sometime into the following day.
The most frequent users of all available time off are primarily staffers who are older than age 30, communications aides, GOP women and Democrat men.
David Tennent, CNCT founder and head honcho, described other angles from the survey responses:
“Operations staff, specifically DEM Operations, said they use about half of their PTO or more. While no plurality chose using less than half of their PTO, Junior Policy staff chose it the most at 22 percent.
“Overall, a concerning 18 percent of staffers who voted said they use ‘just a few days here and there.’ The only group plurality to choose this option was GOP Jr. Policy staff at 33 percent.”
Tennent encourages young staffers not to put themselves in a position of being burned out by failing to take some time off whenever it is needed, and he encouraged staff bosses to make it clear to their younger charges that taking time off when needed is important.
Having worked on the Hill, either as an aide or a journalist covering Congress, for three decades, I can quickly think of too many talented young men and women who worked so much they denied themselves most of the genuine satisfaction that can come from public service done well.
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