How to ask for and take time off without getting penalized

When you do ask for time off, do it with confidence. You are not asking your employer for a favor. You are using a benefit you are entitled to. Summer is here. Even though most workplaces are not on an academic calendar, summer is still a time that many people choose to take vacations. Some of that decision is pragmatic—families with school-age children can bring their kids with them on a trip over the summer more easily than during the school year. Some of it is just that summer feels...