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Through mid-August, Working��ţӰ�� invites all Duke staff and faculty to share photos as part of the Duke Time Off campaign to highlight fun times, hobbies, special moments and summer adventures during personal time off work. 

In 2019, the last Duke Time Off campaign before the coronavirus outbreak, Duke employees shared about 650 photos, including pictures of a starry night sky at Emerald Isle, Buddhist temples in Japan and trips to Sarah P. Duke Gardens. 

To be eligible for prizes this year, photographs must be taken between May 26, 2021 and Aug. 9, 2021 and shared by current University and Health System staff and faculty during the same time period. The deadline for submissions is 12 p.m. Aug. 9. Winners will be announced on Working��ţӰ�� in late August.

We know your vacation plans will look different this summer due to COVID-19. And that’s okay. We welcome pictures of your special moments and adventures that capture a reprieve from the stress of these challenging times – everything from a backyard barbecue to a long-awaited trip, as long as you follow CDC guidelines to travel safer. 

How to share your 2021 summer pictures:

• Post a photo on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with #DukeTimeOff. Tell us what you’re doing with your time away from work. Remember: include #DukeTimeOff in your post, so we can find your snapshots on social media;
• Post a photo and caption on the Working��ţӰ�� Facebook page: ;
• Or, go to  to upload your picture 

While we welcome and encourage frequent submissions, only one picture will be entered per submission. Collage photographs are not eligible for prizes.

During the campaign, the Working��ţӰ�� editorial team will award Duke-themed merchandise from the . Grand prizes awarded at the end of the campaign include:

• Overnight stay with breakfast for two at Washington Duke Inn, courtesy of the Washington Duke Inn
• $100 gift certificate to the Durham Performing Arts Center
• A  for one household with their favorite lemur species. This package includes a custom-edited video of your painting session, and the winner will receive the best paintings of the bunch along with a beautiful photo of the artist(s) for display – all courtesy of the Duke Lemur Center

Justin Frye, a physician assistant for Duke Infectious Diseases and a 2019 Duke Time Off winner, would typically have multiple camping and hiking trips to the Rocky Mountains and West Virginia planned by now. 

“I’ve had some friends move to the West Coast right before the pandemic, so I would like to go visit them, if possible,” Frye said. “Fingers crossed we can do these things safely this summer. I find myself looking forward to seeing friends and family more than I ever have. Hopefully, it will be a summer of reunions.”

Kyara Watkins, a certified medical assistant for Duke Primary Care Hillsborough, plans to get outdoors this summer. Watkins enjoys hiking at William B. Umstead State Park and paddling on Jordan Lake. 

“I’m not sure what my comfort level will be for planning a summer trip, but I know that hiking and kayaking will always be available to me,” Watkins said. “Even though there’s a pandemic, I can still make the best of my time off by getting outside. For me, time off means soaking up sunshine.” 

Send story ideas, shout-outs and photographs to Working��ţӰ�� through  or write working@duke.edu.