The myth of a “working vacation” has been debunked.
A study by Glassdoor found that two-out-of-three Americans still work while on vacation. American employees are not using their vacation time to fully relax, recharge, or to spend time with those they care about. Now, employees are returning to work without the productive, creative, or re-energized feelings they can get from their vacations.
The study found 14 percent of the people surveyed admit that a family member had complained while they worked on vacation. An additional 29 percent were contacted by a coworker, and 25 percent say they were contacted by their boss.
Carmel Galvin, the Glassdoor chief human resources officer, said employees are attempting to step away from the office for a break from work “but technology is keeping them connected with the swipe of a finger”.
Glassdoor has some tips to help ensure a work and stress free vacation:
- Put in for your vacation as soon as possible, and let your coworkers know you will be completely unavailable.
- Come up with ideas on having coworkers share your responsibilities while you are away.
- Be sure to write up an ‘Out of Office’ email reply, and include another person that can be contacted in your absence.
- Designate and make sure a back-up person has everything they would need to be successful in your role. “Your goal is to have you and your manager feel confident that your back-up can be depended on to get the job done”. The better prepared, the more relaxing time you get while you are away.