[Great career moves] Taking a personal day?

The New York Times's "Career Couch" section posed the question, "Should you lie to your employer if if you're taking a day off for fun in the sun? Not surprisingly, everyone they asked said, "Don't do it!" Well, if you're going to be quoted in a national newspaper, would you advise readers to lie? Think of the liability, if nothing else. Frankly, I think we need to question why we measure our value in hours, days, months and years. You do your work, whenever and wherever you want. When you're done, you stop. Period. Sometimes you do need face time. But a lot of requirements seem based on ego, not necessity. So what would I say to a client? I say, "I'm not going to tell you whether to lie about anything. That's up to you. But if you're going to embark on a career change, you'll need time to go on interviews and attend meetings. You'll even need time to talk to me! If you can't carve out this time, you'll face a challenge." Typically, my clients tend to be on a sufficiently high level, so they don't need to take a day off. THey have leeway in scheduling. But I'm always surprised how much surveillance takes place, even at the highest levels. A personal day? Everyone I know has taken a mental health day at some time or other. You have to know your own organization's culture about personal days, lying, and generally being uptight versus reasonable. Some organizations expect you to lie. Others view even a small fib as a firing offense. Life is short. Do what you have to do. And set a goal of working somewhere sane, so you don't have to sneak out on a magnificent Friday afternoon.