understanding how to use vacation is essential too. if you are ever on vacation on a day off, then you either 1) screwed up 2) have a bad vacation section in your contract 3) had to because of uncontrollable circumstances or 4) simply dont understand how to maximize vacation time.

i got a feeling that number 4 is often the case.

for AE... to keep it simple...

Currently, we are allowed to borrow up to 6 individual days of vacation from next year's vacation blocks. We call them PVDs. (Paid Vacation Days) If you have 2 blocks of vacation (each a 7 day block), you want to borrow 6 PVDs so that you are left with 2 blocks of vacation that are 4 day blocks. We usually work 4 on 3 off, so if you ever have a 5+ day block of vacation, chances are, you will be on VC on an off day. (WASTE!)

The next art is maximizing the PVD.
The best way to do this is to put the PVD on a work day that has an overnight, and doesnt come back to base the next day. That way, both days are knocked out (and pay protected!) using only 1 PVD!

Get creative guys! Management does, so we need to also.