Take that Vacation!
There is an article posted on Workforce Blogs titled Demanding That Workers Take a Vacation — or Else. The title caught my eye.
Turns out the post isn’t really taking about whether or not people should use up their earned vacation time — rather it’s about the CEO of Chrysler’s management style. But it did get me thinking about the importance of time away from work.
We all say we want work/life balance — or work/life integration. We all say we need a rest. We all say we need to get away for a while. But how many of us leave loads of vacation time on the table? Is anyone really so important that we can’t leave our jobs for a week or two?
In the long run, it’s better for your employer if you take the time you’ve earned. You’ll be happier and more productive when you’re actually in the office. And your family will likely be happier, too.
Spring is here. If you’re not taking a spring break, start planning your summer get-away now. It will do everyone some good!
March 26th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
But do you feel punished if you don’t stay connected during your vacation? I just spent a wonderful week in warm weather with my family and it’s the following Wednesday night - I am still not caught up on my email. Any suggestions for taking the needed break while keeping your sanity on the back end?
March 30th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Took my vacation - DELEGATE your duties while you are out or force your manager to do so. Your out of office message for email and phone should say “please contact so and so for A, so and so for B or so and so for C or call me/email me back on X date (day AFTER you return)”. Then when you get back from vacation start reading the latest emails FIRST (you will find some nuggets such as “nevermind about my email on the 3rd, Joe fixed the problem for me”). That way you don’t spend too much time reinventing the wheel. Hope that helps.
April 1st, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Thanks for the input. I turned on the out of office message, but will be more specific next time in terms of listing specific contacts for specific duties. I also love the idea of asking people to call or email again after my return to make sure important issues don’t get lost. I think this point emphasizes another issue, which is our general misuse of email as opposed to other communications channels, but that’s the subject of a whole other conversation string! Thanks again!