Can’t unplug from the office even though you’re on vacation? According to CareerCast.com (www.careercast.com), a national job-search portal, you’re definitely not alone.
With smartphones, tablets, netbooks and more now available, it’s easy to stay connected with your office while you’re on vacation, but is it a good idea? Vacations are meant to help employees recharge so they can return to work re-energized and refocused. But if you’re constantly checking in with the office, neither you nor your family and friends get a real break.
“My wife and I own and run an LLC and an international corporation respectively. Vacations help us mentally and spiritually recharge, so we can return to our businesses with new ideas, energy and focus,” says Dave Morton, CEO, The Spinnaker Group, Inc. “While we can't completely disconnect from work, we dedicate days that are strictly vacation - no work talk, no internet or voicemail access. A proper work/play balance while on vacation is key to returning home well-refreshed.”
“While there is always something more to do at work, it’s important to take time to relax and recharge yourself,” says Tony Lee, publisher, www.CareerCast.com. “You’re ultimately more productive after taking a break from your daily routine, and it can help spur creativity and innovation. If you can’t completely unplug from your office, set guidelines so your vacation actually feels like a vacation and not a business trip.”
CareerCast.com offers these tips on how to unplug on vacation:
· Plan ahead. Try to coordinate your vacation time with your co-workers, team and other executive staff so that you have coverage while you’re out and pick a time period that won’t compromise the success of current projects. A little planning can help ensure that things run smoothly while you’re out of the office.
- Designate your main point of contact while you’re out and give them a detailed account of all your projects and work commitments a couple of days before you leave. This way, if they have any questions, they can contact you prior to your vacation.
- Leave emergency contact information with your main point of contact. If you think they’ll call you regardless, make a list of issues that constitute a true emergency.
- Try to leave the majority of your work-related hardware at home. If you have a smartphone, take that with you instead of carrying your laptop. You’ll still be able to check emails and voicemails and logon to the internet if need be.
- Inform your key accounts, vendors and clients when and how long you’ll be out of the office. Make sure that you set up email and voicemail “out of office” notifications with the name and contact information of your colleague handling your responsibilities.
- If you have a lot of projects that will need attention while you’re out, consider distributing your projects among your co-workers or team or hire a consultant to manage the projects.
- If you can’t resist the temptation to check in, try to set up specific times or days you will be checking messages prior to your departure and then limit yourself to those occasions and no more. When checking email messages, if the email subject line is not important – save it for your return to the office.
- Leave your mobile devices in your room so you can concentrate on family and friends and not be tempted to check in during the day.
- If you receive urgent voicemails or emails while you’re out, try to have your main point of contact troubleshoot the issue first and involve you as a last resort. By letting your co-workers or team manage the issues, you build their confidence and show your trust in them – and often issues resolve by themselves anyway.
But most importantly, have fun! You deserve a break. Your health and your work will be better off when you return refreshed and ready to refocus.
To access CareerCast.com’s complete vacation guide for workaholics, visit http://www.careercast.com/jobs/content/how-to-unplug-on-vacation.
