I can and I do (software engineer, not on call). But in the Netherlands this isn't too rare. Three weeks is fairly common during the summer holidays actually. A

I can and I do (software engineer, not on call). But in the Netherlands this isn't too rare. Three weeks is fairly common during the summer holidays actually. As long as everyone is a bit flexible with planning to avoid certain key-employees from being absent at the same time, this is just possible. Earlier this year I took five weeks of unpaid leave to redress the work/life balance. Not a problem either. The alternative is that either I get burned out or I leave for an employer who is willing to let me take holidays if applied for in a timely manner. I can assure you that option one is one that costs employers a lot more than just accepting that employees are not always available.