Another One

This week has featured multiple speakers. I would like to note one of great importance and comment on one of the points he made. Jeff Pratt, an employee of the Walton College, came and spoke to us. During his talk, he suggested not negotiating for vacation days and starting off with a short stick. I took particular issue with his postulation that as a new graduate, you don’t have the leverage to advocate for time off. Frankly, that is one of the worst pieces of advice I have ever heard - and similar advice has contributed to the toxic work culture may places sustain today. Vacation days are an important part of maintaining mental health, and they are something worth fighting for. If a company can’t offer you time off and accommodate - is that somewhere you really want to work? I take issue with these positions that are exploitive purely because someone is a fresh graduate. Everyone deserves personal time, and if a company can’t offer that - go somewhere else.