6 ms·

I never took the day off on my birthday, but a lot of people do. So it might also make sense to ask why these surgeons are operating on their birthdays. Did the

I never took the day off on my birthday, but a lot of people do. So it might also make sense to ask why these surgeons are operating on their birthdays. Did they take the day off and went back to perform surgery on a critical patient? Are they overworked? Etc.

rightbyte 6y ago
I mean surgeries on Christmas probably are way more fatal too since they are the ones that can't wait. You would excepct that it is the day after your birthday the surgeon is worse (risk for hangover or less sleep).
- mikestew 6y ago
  It’s coming up on a year since I got wheeled into the operating room as my Christmas present for 2019. I’m obviously still here to tell the tale, but the thought did cross my mind: “how much of a hurry are you to get home, Dr. Takiyama?” But according to TFA, a Christmas Day surgery was about equal in risk to one on the surgeon’s birthday. Which means my worries weren’t entirely unfounded.
englishrookie 6y ago
Is that a thing in the US, taking a day off on your birthday? To the best of my knowledge, nobody does that in Europe - certainly not in the Netherlands.
- function_seven 6y ago
  As far as I know it's not a thing here, either. I've known one or two that do, but in my experience the vast majority of people will celebrate their birthday on the nearest weekend, if they do so at all.
- fogihujy 6y ago
  It does happen in Europe too; It's more of a personal preference than an actual thing, though.
- mschuster91 6y ago
  Depends on where in Europe you are and how much the people you know value getting wasted or stoned. Personally, I prefer taking off at birthday + 1 day after.
- markus92 6y ago
  Dutchie here, most of my colleagues do.
- kjakm 6y ago
  It's probably just a personal thing. I'm in Europe and always take my birthday off - I don't understand why anybody would want to work on their birthday. Even if I don't have plans to celebrate until the weekend the idea of working on my birthday is very depressing (in fact in rarely celebrate my birthday and if I do it's something small like dinner with a couple of friends). To be honest I thought it would be more prevalent in Europe given we seem to get more time off and taking time off is less 'frowned upon' (at least this is my experience compared with my US based colleagues).
  - Reason077 6y ago
    > "I don't understand why anybody would want to work on their birthday." Well, if you're lucky, your co-workers will chip in and buy a cake!
    - onehp 6y ago
      In all the work environments I've been in (UK) the culture is the opposite, as the birthday person you are expected to bring in cake.
      - danpalmer 6y ago
        And I've had exactly the opposite experience in the UK. I think this depends entirely on the workplace.
      - Reason077 6y ago
        In that case, I'd be trying to keep my birthday a secret!
        inglor_cz 6y ago
        "I wasn't born. I just ... slowly coalesced over a year or so, just like celestial bodies do."
      - oblio 6y ago
        Yeah. I've worked in multiple places in Europe and people except you to bring a cake or something. They might pitch in and buy you a small present, in return. But they definitely expect you to bring a cake or at least some sweets.
- heyoo 6y ago
  Dane here. Also never heard of this. People often bring cake to work on birthdays, though.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- jahller 6y ago
  German here: I always try to take a day off. Not as a rule in general, just a personal preference.
- ariejan 6y ago
  Well, I do. So there's at least one of us. Then again, I grew up having my birthday in the "herfstvakantie" and the habit kind of stuck :-)
- petercooper 6y ago
  It's debatable whether the UK is "in Europe" but all my employees take their birthdays off, as does my wife. It seems to be hugely common here. I don't do it though because I just don't see the point.
- collyw 6y ago
  Some people do. I wouldn't say its the norm, but maybe one in five people do it in my anecdotal experience.
- watwut 6y ago
  Never seen anyone to take a day off on birthday. Living in Europe too.

rightbyte 6y ago

I mean surgeries on Christmas probably are way more fatal too since they are the ones that can't wait. You would excepct that it is the day after your birthday the surgeon is worse (risk for hangover or less sleep).

mikestew 6y ago
It’s coming up on a year since I got wheeled into the operating room as my Christmas present for 2019. I’m obviously still here to tell the tale, but the thought did cross my mind: “how much of a hurry are you to get home, Dr. Takiyama?” But according to TFA, a Christmas Day surgery was about equal in risk to one on the surgeon’s birthday. Which means my worries weren’t entirely unfounded.

englishrookie 6y ago

Is that a thing in the US, taking a day off on your birthday? To the best of my knowledge, nobody does that in Europe - certainly not in the Netherlands.

function_seven 6y ago
As far as I know it's not a thing here, either. I've known one or two that do, but in my experience the vast majority of people will celebrate their birthday on the nearest weekend, if they do so at all.
fogihujy 6y ago
It does happen in Europe too; It's more of a personal preference than an actual thing, though.
mschuster91 6y ago
Depends on where in Europe you are and how much the people you know value getting wasted or stoned. Personally, I prefer taking off at birthday + 1 day after.
markus92 6y ago
Dutchie here, most of my colleagues do.
kjakm 6y ago
It's probably just a personal thing. I'm in Europe and always take my birthday off - I don't understand why anybody would want to work on their birthday. Even if I don't have plans to celebrate until the weekend the idea of working on my birthday is very depressing (in fact in rarely celebrate my birthday and if I do it's something small like dinner with a couple of friends). To be honest I thought it would be more prevalent in Europe given we seem to get more time off and taking time off is less 'frowned upon' (at least this is my experience compared with my US based colleagues).
- Reason077 6y ago
  > "I don't understand why anybody would want to work on their birthday." Well, if you're lucky, your co-workers will chip in and buy a cake!
  - onehp 6y ago
    In all the work environments I've been in (UK) the culture is the opposite, as the birthday person you are expected to bring in cake.
    - danpalmer 6y ago
      And I've had exactly the opposite experience in the UK. I think this depends entirely on the workplace.
    - Reason077 6y ago
      In that case, I'd be trying to keep my birthday a secret!
      - inglor_cz 6y ago
        "I wasn't born. I just ... slowly coalesced over a year or so, just like celestial bodies do."
    - oblio 6y ago
      Yeah. I've worked in multiple places in Europe and people except you to bring a cake or something. They might pitch in and buy you a small present, in return. But they definitely expect you to bring a cake or at least some sweets.
heyoo 6y ago
Dane here. Also never heard of this. People often bring cake to work on birthdays, though.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
jahller 6y ago
German here: I always try to take a day off. Not as a rule in general, just a personal preference.
ariejan 6y ago
Well, I do. So there's at least one of us. Then again, I grew up having my birthday in the "herfstvakantie" and the habit kind of stuck :-)
petercooper 6y ago
It's debatable whether the UK is "in Europe" but all my employees take their birthdays off, as does my wife. It seems to be hugely common here. I don't do it though because I just don't see the point.
collyw 6y ago
Some people do. I wouldn't say its the norm, but maybe one in five people do it in my anecdotal experience.
watwut 6y ago
Never seen anyone to take a day off on birthday. Living in Europe too.