I disagree. It depends on your seniority. I am jr in category and I can’t get summer vacation nor do I get the best schedules. So I use my APD and IVDs to create summer vacations where they did not exist. I will create the time off I need then WS on my other off days. So far this summer through the creative use of these and the open board I have gone from being awarded schedules working almost every weekend to having most my weekends of and creating some vacation windows.
It does take effort to make it happen but knowing the rules as a jr guy is a definite must for QOL.