Your vacation days are a precious resource when you work a full-time job. When you are committed to a 9 to 5, the amount of free time you have to enjoy life at your leisure is limited, and usually, you want to plan the handful of nonworking days that you have with a precision that allows you to enjoy them to the fullest.

There are also other factors to take into consideration when you are planning a vacation under these circumstances, such as whether your employer will allow you this small amount of freedom and how your job will fit around the disruption in routine. There is often very little room for error, and the last thing that you need is unexpected circumstances cropping up and ruining a much-anticipated break. 

However, sometimes you have to expect the unexpected and, where appropriate, stand your ground when it comes to protecting your vacation time.