“Days in Lieu Of”
A tradition that stuck
“August was a Heavy Month” - Sir Bob Geldoff
The academic year has begun and with that, student affairs, student services and higher education administrators are coming off of what is typically one of the most high intensity months of the year. I was literally 10 years into my career when I had a Labor Day weekend off. I probably turned down a dozen wedding invitations over my 30 years in Student Affairs, because the ceremonies were held during resident assistant training. And there was the year that rather than do laundry, I bought more clothing.
For some of us, August is the month when self-care, good nutrition and adequate sleep suffer. Surely it isn’t the case for everyone, but let’s be honest, you are more likely to skip leg day, your morning run or a load of laundry - especially if they were to fall on First-Year Student Move-in Weekend. For managers and leaders, we must turn our attention to our team and lead with self-awareness and grace. With new professionals and new hires beginning their tenure in August, it is a key time to set expectations about time. Time both in and out of the office.
In my first student affairs job, I was lucky enough to work for a team of leaders who elevated self care to a tradition. Called a “Day in Lieu Of” - or DILO for short - members of our department were given a set number of days off in recognition of the long hours that we all put in throughout the month of August. We were not in a union, nor did we have overtime or comp days. And while the DILO program was strictly ‘under the table’ there was one rule: the DILO days had a sunset, and if we didn’t use the days by that date, they were lost.
As a new professional I used the time to get a mini-pedi, or do laundry or sleep. As a mid-level professional, I made sure that my team used their dates by letting them know when I was using mine. By doing such, I had sent the message that these days were essential to recharging my battery, and they should heed my example. Which they did. Did DILOS reflect every single hour of work that each team member spent working beyond the 35 hour work day? No, but they did symbolize that our Department Leadership understood and acknowledged our work and, more importantly, our time.
When I became a chief student affairs officer, I went to my Vice President for Human Resources and came clean. I had brought the DILO program with me to several institutions, and now as the VPSA, I wanted my entire division to benefit from such a program. The VP for Human Resources gave me the OK and from there I brought it to my direct reports. We discussed how the time would be used across the division, and by getting input and buy-in from my departmental leadership, the program met our culture, the nuances of our different departments, and sent a consistent message that we care about you, and while we may not be the biggest, the fanciest, or the most shiny place to work - we know that our people are our product, and we want you to take your time and take care of yourself.
The start of the academic year should be a time where you set your own goals. Make at least one about time. It is far too precious a commodity to squander.