You’re on vacation, enjoying some much-needed time off with your friends or family. The sun is shining, the waves are crashing, and you’re relaxing on the beach with a cold drink in hand. Suddenly, your phone rings. It’s your boss wondering why you haven’t replied to that email yet.
Sound familiar? We’ve all been in this situation: trying to enjoy a holiday while feeling guilty about the work we’re not getting done (on official leave). But is it really necessary to completely unplug from work during vacation?
The answer is: it depends. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of answering work emails and calls while on vacation. On the one hand, staying connected can help you feel more relaxed and at ease, knowing that things are under control back at the office.
On the other hand, answering emails and taking calls can take time off from your time off, and might not be what you want to be doing while on vacation. So, what’s the best solution? Read on to find out.
Why you should be open to picking up calls and replying to emails while on vacation
First of all, if you’re not available, your clients or customers may end up going to someone else. And that’s the last thing you want—losing business because you’re not taking the time to check-in.
Second, it’s never a good idea to completely disconnect from work. You may be on vacation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a break from checking your email once every few hours. It’s all about finding the right balance. Disconnecting entirely can be rejuvenating, but so can sneaking in a quick work call or email reply. It just depends on what works for you.
How to manage expectations with your colleagues before you go on a holiday
Image Credits: fortune.com
You should give your colleagues a heads-up about how long you will be gone for. It’s always better to be upfront and let them know in advance rather than have them find out while you’re gone.
Let them know that you will be available for work calls and emails, but that you won’t be able to respond right away. This way, they won’t expect an immediate response from you and they won’t be caught off guard if they need to get in touch with you.
Make sure to set some clear boundaries for yourself. Decide the time intervals you will take to answer work-related calls or emails while on vacation, and stick to it. Otherwise, you might find yourself working more than you wanted to.
Tips for setting boundaries while you’re on vacation
You’re on vacation, enjoying a well-earned break. The sun is shining, the cocktails are cold, and you’re determined to stay off your phone and out of email. But then you get a call from your boss. Or an email from a client.
And before you know it, you’re sucked back into work mode. We’ve all been there. It can be tough to draw the line between work and vacation, especially when it feels like the work is never-ending. But it’s good to set boundaries, both for your sanity and for the sake of your holiday companions.
Here are a few tips on how to do that:
- Turn off notifications for work emails and calls
- Stick to your vacation schedule as much as possible
- Make sure your out-of-office message is clear and concise
You’re on vacation to relax, de-stress and maybe see some new places, but that doesn’t mean you have to switch off from work completely. If you can take a few calls or reply to a few emails, it can be a great way to ease back into things when you return to the office. Doing so can help you stay in the loop and avoid any major disasters, but make sure you set some ground rules for yourself before you start checking work emails or taking work calls while on vacation. Find a middle ground for yourself.