Do you work while on vacation?

[dwreath]

I always end up checking in.  Also, my vacation always seems to be planned around the schedule here.  It isn't when *I* wanted to go, it's when work can afford to be without me for a day (or two in a row if I'm lucky).  It is rarely a full week at at time.  More like one day here, one day there.  I have been trying to get just one day off all month already and currently things are too chaotic for me to find a good day to choose.   Everytime I think I've found a day to pick, something comes up.  We have been laying off people lately and I am the one here who knows almost all the jobs, so the boss looks to me to step in and help out.

When I do get my day off, I check in and keep an eye on email but I try to limit my actual working to only helping with emergencies.  Anything else and I respond that I am on vacation and will look into it or get to it the next day.

D.

[Katie G]

I'm with CG.  I really don't like this idea that we (as a society) should all be "reachable" and "available" to all and sundry at all times.  

My husband once made the disturbing observation that as cell phones/email and other communication technology became more and more popular, suddenly you started seeing all these ads for stomach acid prescriptions, anti-depressant/anti-anxiety prescriptions, sleeping prescriptions....  Prescriptions -- as in, the OTC stuff for the occasional upset stomach, or a quiet cup of tea to calm ourselves or help us relax a bit weren't doing the trick anymore...

OK, maybe it's not scientifically or statistically valid, but it sure makes you wonder.  Maybe if we (meaning society in general) could be able to take a decent vacation now and then without feeling guilty, our stomachs would stop churning, we'd be able to calm down, and maybe even get a decent night's sleep!

[msmarieh]

In general, when I am on vacation, I am on vacation!

I do tend to call in once a day, just to make sure there aren't any earthshaking questions or problems, but that's it and my replacements know better than to bother me with unimportant things that can wait.

I have also trained my bosses not to bother my replacements with things that can wait for my return too.

Marie

[ControlledChaos]

No, my holiday time is my time to get away from everything, to relax and recharge the battery ready for the next onslaught.  

When I had just left college and was working in my first full time position the manager always worked through his holiday.  After I had been with the company for 8 months he took a week's holiday, his first in 5 years.  Two days after he was due to be back at work I called the police to break into his flat as he had not been seen only to find that he had collapsed and died,  probably of a heart attack brought on by overwork according to the corroner.  He was 28 - I was 21.  Since that day I have always taken my holiday when it is due!

[misslynn]

A lot of insight and valuable input here, I'm glad to hear there are so many that don't connect with their offices while on vacation.

Also, for the record, the time I work while on vacation isn't free - I log my hours and am paid for what I work.  I end up not using all that much vacation time while I'm on vacation because I work so much of it.

The problem for me is that there isn't anyone I can turn my position over to when I'm out.  There was an HR admin at my level about a year ago but they did away with that position so I'm now the only admin at my level for my area.

I have 4 days off next week, I planned this because my team will all be out of town at a meeting so there won't be anything to do in the office anyway.  I'm going to make a concentrated effort to truly let go, not check e-mail and not call my boss.  We'll see how it goes.