ABSTRACT
Men primarily resisted leaves in four ways: First, many men described their ability to work virtually as mitigating any need for time off. Second, most of men in this study used vacation time in lieu of leave, and almost all the men in this study conflated vacation time with leave time. Third, a surprising number of men described quitting to get time off at crucial moments in their lives as preferable to taking a leave of absence. Fourth, some men described the distinction between work and life as completely irrelevant or nondescriptive of their lives. Quitting is an easier option than taking a leave of absence is speaks to the cultural bias against formal leaves of absence and suggests that work and nonwork pursuits are not compatible, instead, one must completely separate the two realms rather than combine them with use of periodic stretches away from work. Flexible schedules, telecommuting, and completely virtual organizations are increasingly available for many employees.
