Working While On Vacation

[flipstah]

Hey all,

So I'm set for an approved vacation mid-December and our team was just informed that we have a big project starting early December. This was just thrown into us and our resources are scarce so every single person counts.

Now they're just poking fun of me leaving when this massive task just came (vacation was planned first), but have you ever had to work during vacation?

I haven't been asked to do so but I feel like I should because it's integral for our success....

[rage2]

I don't think I've ever NOT worked during vacation. :rofl:

[Perfect Dark]

Originally posted by rage2
I don't think I've ever NOT worked during vacation. :rofl:

Haha yep, my phone rings no matter where I am or what I'm doing.

[lint]

Nope, never. But I'm a contractor and not that important.

[darthVWader]

Just set aside one hour of your day to check and respond to emails and calls. Stick to that one hour. The one hour should be poolside with a great view :poosie: and a tall drink :thumbsup:

[Disoblige]

Whatever.

The vacation was approved and usually you have primary and alternative delegate to cover your responsibilities when you are away.

Sure you could have a phone line available so they could ask you questions or have you guide them to do something but that's the most I would do.

And yes, check your e-mails.

[Euro_Trash]

Originally posted by darthVWader
Just set aside one hour of your day to check and respond to emails and calls. Stick to that one hour. The one hour should be poolside with a great view :poosie: and a tall drink :thumbsup:

Exactly! When I come home from a 2 week vacation with hundreds of emails, I don't feel like the vacation was worth it. I usually try to hammer through emails throughout my vacation. I am not very good at relaxing.

[BokCh0y]

Same boat as Rage2 here. Always working, I am.

[sabad66]

Work email on personal iPhone = never really on vacation :(

Sure I can turn it off temporarily but I'd rather not have any big surprises when I come back. Plus it's easier than wasting time training your cover person for something they will only need to know for a week or two.

If I were you I wouldn't try to get too involved in it since its starting up while you're gone... Once u come back just catch up and go on with it.

[A790]

Sorry, but I don't buy that.

I tell my employees when they go on vacation to turn their phones off, not check their e-mails, etc. It isn't much of a vacation if your brain doesn't have down-time.

Go on vacation and feel good about it. The vacation was approved, you booked it before. Feel good about it.

[FullFledgedYYC]

Work doesn't pay for my phone... so my phone is turned off while I am on vacation.

They also don't pay for my iPad, thefore my work email is not setup on it.

In conclusion, no. If they need you that bad they should approach you and ask if you can move your vacation.

I find the people that work on vacation seem to think they are more important than they really are.

[chibwack]

I don't work on vacation, but I'm just a lowly junior so not very important. But still, I make a point of not giving anybody at the office my personal number or email address. If they need to reach me when I'm on a beach in mexico, they can give me a blackberry goddammit.

But they won't, cause I'm just not important enough :(

[2Legit2Quit]

My phone is paid for by work but I turn off email and will check it at my leisure. I let people know to only contact me via phone only if it's a work emergency. Hard to properly de-stress if thinking about working and getting work updates all the time.

[CanmoreOrLess]

On your death bed you will have many regrets, going on this scheduled vacation will not be one of them.

Work will always have some pressing matter no matter the day or week, without this you would be out of work. Enjoy the vacation, check in once a day if you wish but really they will get along without you like they always do. If your office cannot function without you, you are currently underpaid and need to hit them up for a massive pay raise. Or you simply overvalue your importance, some do out of a sense of guilt. I cannot say one way or the other.

[vtec4life]

When you go on vacation all it will mean is your co-workers might actually have to do more than half an hour of work each day.

[Swank]

If I'm not getting paid then I'm not doing work. If they ask you to work while you're away make damn sure you're compensated for it.

[FullFledgedYYC]

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess
If your office cannot function without you, you are currently underpaid and need to hit them up for a massive pay raise. Or you simply overvalue your importance, some do out of a sense of guilt. I cannot say one way or the other.


Originally posted by vtec4life
When you go on vacation all it will mean is your co-workers might actually have to do more than half an hour of work each day.

Poetry. So true, both of you.

[Paul]

Too hard to not be constantly connected to the office in some form, unless you leave your phone behind. Pisses the wife off, but I'm checking emails , texts, etc once a day or anytime I happen to walk thru a wifi hotspot.

Perhaps it's time to leave the phone at home.

[lilmira]

Yeah, no way unless I'm in the emergency response type of work.

If I notify the employer in advance of my time off, they should be able to schedule the work. If you only need a quick answer sure, anything longer than a few minutes phone call is way too long. If you phone me more than a few times a day, you'll be talking to a machine.

[Jlude]

Originally posted by A790
Sorry, but I don't buy that.

I tell my employees when they go on vacation to turn their phones off, not check their e-mails, etc. It isn't much of a vacation if your brain doesn't have down-time.

Go on vacation and feel good about it. The vacation was approved, you booked it before. Feel good about it.

This applies if you work for the company, but if the companies bottom line affects your bank account, you likely are unable to shut work off completely.

No matter what vacation I'm on, I spend an hour or two a day answering emails, reviewing drawings, etc. Depending on how things are going, I might have to spend more... but I also own the company, so I'm heavily invested in it's success.

At the end of the day, everyone needs a vacation and Cam is right, it's not going to be good for you to be focused on work when you should be enjoying yourself.

[Lex350]

I don't work while on vacation otherwise it isn't a vaction. If the project is that important then they can compensate me for the money I paid out already plus extra time...otherwise ...HELL NO!

[ExtraSlow]

I've cancelled and changed vacatons to fit work demands, btu I try very hard not to make a habit of it.

One of my bosses once told me that if I'm not able to completely turn off during my vacations, then he's not doing his job in supporting me and getting proper coverage. I really took that to heart, and I make a bigger effort to "unplug." Also, I've been told taht constantly checking in with the office on my days off can make it seem like I don't trust my co-workers to be able to handle my projects. Sometime "helping" from afar can look like micromanaging.

Food for thought.

[dannie]

It depends on what you do for a living. I can't remember the last time I didn't work on vacation. I keep my cell with me, sync emails every 2 hours and deal with it when it comes in. Take calls when I have to, make calls when I have to and text if necessary. However, I will not do it constantly as though I'm at the office.

My staff on the other hand, there is nothing that they need to do once they've left the office.

So, to me... it depends on what you do. But if you have to, put a time limit on it or restrictions on it like the others do.

[gkAeris]

i'm addicted to work, everytime i go on vacation i bring my laptop so i can remote login whenever.....no they didn't buy me a laptop or a phone...

like other people posted its really depends on your position in the company. As a manager i have to know whats happening and ready to aid if need be.

[A790]

Originally posted by Jlude


This applies if you work for the company, but if the companies bottom line affects your bank account, you likely are unable to shut work off completely.

No matter what vacation I'm on, I spend an hour or two a day answering emails, reviewing drawings, etc. Depending on how things are going, I might have to spend more... but I also own the company, so I'm heavily invested in it's success.

At the end of the day, everyone needs a vacation and Cam is right, it's not going to be good for you to be focused on work when you should be enjoying yourself.
Very valid point. I have a hard time shutting down when I go on vacation because of the impact the business has on me. I also am one of the founders and thus every penny and detail matter.

The OP sounds like an employee, and part of their compensation package includes vacation time. The employer took that into consideration when granting time off. He should take the time in confidence and feel good about it :)

[clem24]

I've worked on vacation. It doesn't bother me honestly. I just tell them to expect that work won't be done during work hours and don't expect immediate email response. They're fine with it. Plus every hour I work I book as a work hour and not as vacation. So more time off later! Best one was watching the gold medal hockey game, while doing work.. in Hawaii hahaha.

[flipstah]

Wow, I didn't expect this to be such a hot topic actually haha.

The reason why I asked is because this is my first vacation with a big-boy job; wearing big-boy pants.

I believe the team can manage but we're only three people, excluding my manager, and we have to deliver well in order to get buy-in from others (just like in any new project).

He hasn't asked me for assistance but I like my work and it's not a bother if I check once a week or something and give a lending hand.

It's all about trying to make a lasting impression and doing my best.

Also, I'm gone for a month.

[rage2]

So lemme clarify working on vacation from my perspective. It means that I'm on call for escalations (rarely get called anyways), check and respond to my emails several times a day, and generally just make sure everything is running like clockwork (it usually is). I'm still doing vacation stuff, I just take a "break" here and there for a few mins. As a key decision maker at work, there are times where I am needed, and usually just a 1 minute phone call away from stopping everything in it's track.

I'm in management, so I do try to let my team go on vacation without being interrupted. I do NOT expect them to work, nor do I ask them to. If they're checking emails and responsive during vacation time, that's remembered during bonus, salary hike, and promotion time. Remember, if you can be replaced by a co-worker for weeks at a time, you won't be missed if you're gone. I try to plan projects away from staff vacation time, so most of the things that are asked of my team when they're away are not huge priorities, but it's nice to get a response within a few hours to a question that helps keep things rolling along smoothly.

If you want to climb the corporate ladder faster, spend 30-60 mins a day checking emails, and responding while on vacation. Hell, you might get a free cell phone out of it. It's not a lot of work, and it goes a long way in making an impression on your bosses. Don't stop what you're doing on vacation, get hammered if you want to, nobody can tell over emails anyways haha.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by rage2
So lemme clarify working on vacation from my perspective. It means that I'm on call for escalations (rarely get called anyways), check and respond to my emails several times a day, and generally just make sure everything is running like clockwork (it usually is). I'm still doing vacation stuff, I just take a "break" here and there for a few mins. As a key decision maker at work, there are times where I am needed, and usually just a 1 minute phone call away from stopping everything in it's track.

I'm in management, so I do try to let my team go on vacation without being interrupted. I do NOT expect them to work, nor do I ask them to. If they're checking emails and responsive during vacation time, that's remembered during bonus, salary hike, and promotion time. Remember, if you can be replaced by a co-worker for weeks at a time, you won't be missed if you're gone. I try to plan projects away from staff vacation time, so most of the things that are asked of my team when they're away are not huge priorities, but it's nice to get a response within a few hours to a question that helps keep things rolling along smoothly.

If you want to climb the corporate ladder faster, spend 30-60 mins a day checking emails, and responding while on vacation. Hell, you might get a free cell phone out of it. It's not a lot of work, and it goes a long way in making an impression on your bosses. Don't stop what you're doing on vacation, get hammered if you want to, nobody can tell over emails anyways haha.

/thread

If I'm on vacation, don't expect that I'll be reachable 24x7. But unless I'm in the Amazon somewhere, I'll be connected and will keep my finger on the pulse. Things may get out of hand if they are not taken care of early on.

For projects, ill advise PMs either plan around people's vacation or look for other contingencies like rearranging critical paths or look for addition
resources.

And I fucking hate playing email catch up after vacation.

[Grogador]

f u

[Sugarphreak]

...

[sneek]

Interesting topic! I usually work on my time off to keep things moving smoothly. I'd say at the very least I spend 1 hour a day on email when I am away. As much as I have faith in my team, I have this weird ownership/responsibility complex where I like to ensure that all is good. All of that said, I am starting to notice more and more of my team members are working during their off time. My admin assistant recently went away for few extra days and I noticed that she was reachable the entire time. To be honest, that is probably an unhealthy trait that I have fostered.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by sneek
Interesting topic! I usually work on my time off to keep things moving smoothly. I'd say at the very least I spend 1 hour a day on email when I am away. As much as I have faith in my team, I have this weird ownership/responsibility complex where I like to ensure that all is good. All of that said, I am starting to notice more and more of my team members are working during their off time. My admin assistant recently went away for few extra days and I noticed that she was reachable the entire time. To be honest, that is probably an unhealthy trait that I have fostered.

I think mobile internet, social networks are at fault here.

People are now answering work E-mail like they are Facebook posts or tweets.

[diamondedge]

DJ, it depends on the scenario. Granted that this is a longer vacation, and resources are short, I would make an effort to check in once a day or once in every other day. They'll CC you on emails and stuff, read them so you're ahead of the game (or caught up so to speak) when you return. If you need to respond and it takes no time to do it, do it. It'll keep things moving and also as rage2 said, look good for you.

Every vacation I've gone on, I've checked my email at least once to basically see what I'm up against when I return.

[thrasher22]

Unless you're a doctor, no one is going to die without you. Turn that shit off and enjoy your short time off (unless you love your job THAT much).

[ringmaster]

I have taken vacation in the past TO WORK. Helps to have the out of office autoresponder on so nothing new gets put on your plate. :nut:

[ga16i]

I used to basically be on call while on vacation and would remotely login to deal with various crap. That was more due to lack of resources being in a small office and I was basically the "IT guy" when I'm really the web developer. I didn't mind that and expected it when I signed up. But I've since moved on and things just run a lot smoother being in control of what happens when and having dedicated IT resources available. e.g., I wouldn't plan a launch of anything right before I go on vacation. I now check email once a day either early morning before I head out or late in the evening when I'm back at the hotel room. That's usually good enough to not have things get out of hand. I wouldn't miss important family stuff for work though. In the end no one will even notice or acknowledge the crazy hours you put in or sacrificed vacation time. They'll boot your ass out the door all the same when the time comes. So always look out for #1 first. :thumbsup:

[rage2]

Originally posted by ga16i
In the end no one will even notice or acknowledge the crazy hours you put in or sacrificed vacation time.
If you have a good boss, it'll be recognized. I know that most of the managers in our organization respect this, and it comes up during evaluations.

[bjstare]

Originally posted by ga16i
In the end no one will even notice or acknowledge the crazy hours you put in or sacrificed vacation time. They'll boot your ass out the door all the same when the time comes. So always look out for #1 first. :thumbsup:

This has got to be one of the dumbest things I've seen in a while on here. If you're always looking out for #1 first, you can bet they'll get rid of you when they get the chance.

If a company/manager I worked for didn't notice the extra effort, I'd leave long before I got my "ass booted out the door".

[ga16i]

Originally posted by cjblair


This has got to be one of the dumbest things I've seen in a while on here. If you're always looking out for #1 first, you can bet they'll get rid of you when they get the chance.

If a company/manager I worked for didn't notice the extra effort, I'd leave long before I got my "ass booted out the door".

Ok, I guess it really depends on the individual company. I felt that the ones that are always about the bottom line and yearly evaluations are based on "what more are you going to do for me in the future" (keeping the same responsibilities did not warrant a raise or even a guaranteed place. that's how I got involved in sales and marketing beyond programming) totally has that attitude towards employees.

EDIT: I especially enjoyed the "bonus plans" where the compensation offered meant that unless you complete some rather large project outside office hours in less than 16 hrs in a month it'd work out to be minimum wage for those bonus hours.

[ekguy]

Originally posted by rage2
I don't think I've ever NOT worked during vacation. :rofl:

Same...Just suck it up and do what you can while on vacation. I always end up coming in to help when I'm off. Unless I'm out of the country traveling.

In the end do what you feel is right, but helping out while you're on vacation will not make you look bad in any way...Just sayin

;)

[chibwack]

Honestly, there's nothing wrong with keeping up with work on vacation as long as you're not doing it because you feel forced. It's not hard at all to check emails while sitting on a chair in Bora Bora and write up a quick reply. Hell, if you're sitting there for 8 hours a day the mixup might even be nice. Just don't go on vacation and accept being forced to micromanage some project from across the globe. That'd just be ridiculous.

[npham]

The answer to the OP is actually pretty easy. Since he has to ask the question, he probably doesn't influence enough decisions(no offense) to work more than 30 minutes a day, reading emails. Maybe less, depending on how many emails you normally get. Those that need to work while on vacation, just work, and don't ask questions.

I say enjoy your approved time off, and check your emails daily(if possible). There could be some things you can contribute to by a quick email, which could save your team and manager hours/days. Also, you are gone for a month and don't want to spend the 1st week reading 100's or 1000's of emails.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by npham
The answer to the OP is actually pretty easy. Since he has to ask the question, he probably doesn't influence enough decisions(no offense) to work more than 30 minutes a day, reading emails. Maybe less, depending on how many emails you normally get. Those that need to work while on vacation, just work, and don't ask questions.

I say enjoy your approved time off, and check your emails daily(if possible). There could be some things you can contribute to by a quick email, which could save your team and manager hours/days. Also, you are gone for a month and don't want to spend the 1st week reading 100's or 1000's of emails.

None taken.

I think I'll just do what I can but not worry about everything. :guns:

[BananaFob]

Originally posted by chibwack
Honestly, there's nothing wrong with keeping up with work on vacation as long as you're not doing it because you feel forced. It's not hard at all to check emails while sitting on a chair in Bora Bora and write up a quick reply. Hell, if you're sitting there for 8 hours a day the mixup might even be nice. Just don't go on vacation and accept being forced to micromanage some project from across the globe. That'd just be ridiculous.

+1. Took my blackberry with me, added $100 for 25mb of international data and worked while getting sunburnt to a crisp on a beach in malaysia.

[Masked Bandit]

This year was actually the first time I've ever been able to work while on vacation and I quite liked it. In years past, the catch-up game afterwards was enough of a downer that I simply wouldn't take time off. I've probably had less than five weeks off in the last ten years (prior to this current year). And it wasn't even really "work". Keeping up with emails while standing in line at Disneyland for 45 minutes? Hell, it gave me something to do. I'm actually more inclined to take time off work now.

[flipstah]

My manager actually answered my inquiry while our team was determining the plan when I leave,

"If you check your email in Asia, start looking for a job there." :)

[ExtraSlow]

Sounds like a good boss. That was clear and helpful.