The sun is shining and people across the country are planning days at the beach and looking forward to their summer vacation. Both kids and adults can enroll in summer camps and amusement parks and tourist areas are enjoying the busiest parts of their year. The summer vacation is a cultural staple and this year, fewer Americans are going to be able to enjoy the time away from the office. For those who are lucky enough to be able to take the time off this summer, they may find that even though they aren't at the office, they are expected to work harder than ever.
According to a survey by Best Western, 50 percent of the people asked said that they were most worried about their work ruining their vacation. It seems that employees are expected to check their email and be available during office hours to handle any sort of crisis that were to come up.
So, with all of these conflicting responsibilities, how can you enjoy some fun in the sun and stop your boss from ruining your summer vacation? Here are 4 tips:
Set aside designated work time – If you know that you're going to have a pile of work on your desk when you get back and you are willing to sacrifice a small amount of your vacation time to avoid it, plan time for checking and responding to your work email. If you have set hours, you'll be less likely to keep your smart phone tied to your wrist. Take a few hours to deal with your work obligations, then relax and resist the temptation to check in again.
Don't travel the entire time – If you are worried about being overwhelmed when you get back, don't plan to travel the entire time you have off. Get back a day early so that you can spend that time getting caught up and preparing for the return to work.
Make a plan before you leave – Before you leave for your vacation, decide how your work responsibilities will be handled while your gone. This might mean that you'll need to delegate your responsibilities to co-workers or prepare a list for a temp. Whatever the case may be, being organized in advance will save you a lot of headaches later.
Turn off your phone – After you've handled your work obligations, turn your phone off. If that's too hard to do, then schedule a few hours of disconnect time. Even though it's tempting to work through your vacation, the entire point of taking a break is to unwind and relax. If you're tied to your phone, you certainly won't be able to relax.
Taking a vacation is a great way to recharge your spirit and spend time doing the things you love. Getting away from your work is probably one of the best things you can do to increase your productivity and prevent burnout. It's good for your soul and it's good for your career. Try to resist the temptation to take a working vacation.
What do you think? Have you ended up working through your vacation? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Image source: MorgueFile
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!