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Working while on Holiday?

Guest post by: Patricia

Article Overview: Can't take your mind off work even while you are on a holiday? Feeling stressed when you should be having fun? Your colleagues, clients and superiors keep looking for you despite the fact that you told them that you will be on leave? Welcome to the world of "holi-work", where work and play become a norm for many busy executives. How do we draw the line and identify potential issues relating to "holi-work"? This article touches on a few main points in an interview format.

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Working while on Holiday?

Why are people finding it harder to get away from work while on holiday? (i.e. technology, mindset, etc)

We can easily identify several culprits to explain this new trend, some of which include a greater integration of job duties with other job functions, shorter deadlines, shortage of manpower and so forth. But the biggest culprit till date is the technological advancement over the years that have brought our world much closer together. The speed and ease in which we can telecommute allows us to work just about any location and time. If you compare today against the work environment 20 years ago, technology was expensive, slow and impractical to aid us while working away from the office. Today, we are surrounded with items such as handheld communication gadgets, notebooks and mobile Internet, all of which enable us to access our emails and data even while on holiday.

Is this trend of people working while on holiday set to get worse? Why?

The ability to multi-task and the usage of technology to aid our work allows us to be more productive. But this also meant that we could all be slaves to the very technology that is meant to improve our work-life balance. If nothing is being done to change the mindset of both employers and employees, employers and even colleagues will continue to expect those workers who are away for holiday to churn out work and remain contactable at all times.

Do you think this trend is by choice or due to the nature of one's job? Why?

Some people have this "bad" habit of checking and responding their emails on a timely basis and they will feel uncomfortable if they do not do so. For some employees, working 24/7 has become a habit. For those who frown upon such practices, they view such work ethics as unhealthy and this defeats the very purpose of a holiday, which is to take a break to reenergize the body and mind. At the end of the day, it all about making a personal choice and remaining self-disciplined.

Do you think it is possible for one to be adamant about not being contacted while on holiday leave? Why/why not?

At the end of the day, you do not want to spend so much money on a holiday, only to be unable to enjoy it! However, working away from the office is unavoidable for some. Urgent matters that need to be addressed, unexpected events that need urgent attention, critical decisions that need to be made are "reasonable excuses". It is hard for a key appointment holder, say your Director, CEO or CFO, to be away from the office for a long duration without being interrupted. However, as a rule of a thumb, if the key appointment holder is away for a short trip, say around one to three days, they should be left alone till he/she returns. For some people, taking a long vacation may result in a flooded mailbox when they return to work. Therefore, it is advisable to clear your mailbox while away on a long break. You certainly do not want to be more stressed up when you return to work and find yourself staring at a huge chunk of unread emails.

Which industries or occupation types are most likely to suffer from having to keep plugged in while on holiday?

"Holi-work" as you term it, is common across all industries and organizations. For "holi-work" to take place, you will need a set of tools to enable you to work away from the office. It could be as simple as a phone conversation with your colleagues, web-conference meetings, the usage of a notebook to send out emails and documents, Smartphone, blackberry and so forth. Some hotels abroad may have "working suites", so that also enables a person to work while on a holiday. "Holi-workers" applies mainly for the personnel who deal with some form of administrative work, such as your Secretaries, Executives and Management staff. It is uncommon to have, for example, a service staff or a manual worker "holi-working" due to the nature of their job

What type of implications do you think employees are afraid of if they are uncontactable?

Most employees wish to be regarded as someone who is responsible in his/her work and hence they will be concern about what their colleagues or supervisors think about them if they do not response promptly. Negative impressions may lead to a lower performance appraisal rating and this may in return affect the employee's increment, promotional aspects and bonus.

To what extent does the ability to completely relax while on holiday also influenced by the company's culture? Why?

Top management has a strong influence over the company's culture. To encourage "healthy" habits, management should avoid working while away on a holiday. Employees will be encouraged by the positive habits displayed by the top management and they will not feel pressured and inclined to work while on vacation (unless for urgent matters).

What does your company usually advise other companies on such issues relating to work life balance?

"Holi-work" is fine if you know where to draw the line at the end of the day. Adopt a disciplined approach and set aside a fixed period every day to address any outstanding matters. Once that is done, switch off your laptop, mobile phone and more importantly, switch off your mind from work. If you are not travelling alone, you have to be sensitive to the needs of the people that you are travelling with (e.g. family members). At the end of the day, it is a choice that everyone has to make. For some, that phone call could translate into bread and butter (especially if you are in a sales related industry such as a real estate agent or financial planner), or make or break in one's career, so it is hard to say no at times to that "minor interruption" while on holiday. It is all in the mindset, you have to learn how to enjoy your work!

Three Simple Tips To Stay Away from Work

1. You should inform your colleagues to cover for your absence while you away. Unless absolutely necessary, inform them (including your clients) not call your mobile phone. If the issue does not require urgent attention, just ask them to drop you an email on that matter so that you can address it when you are back.

2. Do not be tempted to bring your laptop or any other peripherals that can enable you to work away from the office. Chances are if you bring them along, you would want to use it since you have lugged it all the way abroad.

3. Remind yourself the whole purpose of this trip (to rest and relax and not work!). You must have a disciplined mindset.

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About the Author: Patricia
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WORKLIFE SOLUTIONS

Established since 2006, Worklife Solutions is one of Singapore's leading HR consultancy firms that specialize in work-life programmes, workplace redesign and wellness training. Our services extend to a large assortment of organizations, regardless of their size and industry. Our clientele includes organizations from the Government sector, Government linked agencies, Multinational companies (MNCs), and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Together with our partners, the scope of work conducted for our clients include but not limited to the following areas:

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