How To Disconnect From Work On Vacation

A recent Deloitte study revealed that more than two-thirds of C-level executives are considering a job change to improve their well-being due to the inability to disconnect during the vacation period (such as workation, or the combination of vacation leisure time and remote work).

Regardless of the job position in a company, a vacation can help reduce some of the stress and anxiety. Vacations allow you to catch your breath, distance yourself from work and daily problems, and gain a new perspective on things. Less stress, better mental health, clarity of thought: the mental, physical and professional benefits of vacations are innumerable.

Unfortunately, most people don’t get to disconnect. A study by MyPerfectResume showed that 82% of people work while on vacation and 42% intentionally take vacation days to catch up on work.

It is true that completely disconnecting from work can be difficult; especially for those who have dependents in the company. Even when all external factors are in order, employees are prone to putting in personal effort, whether out of loyalty, diligence, or simple workaholism.

Checklist Of 7 Steps To Be Able To Disconnect From Work On Vacation

1) Inform Everyone About Vacation Plans In Advance

To avoid any unpleasant surprises and ensure that the team can adequately prepare for your absence, it is essential to inform all relevant parties of your plans. That includes management, customers, teammates, human resources, and anyone else who might be affected by your unavailability.

Timely planning also ensures vacations don’t overlap between teammates and the company doesn’t run out of staff. If you’ve informed everyone a month or more in advance, a reminder is in order when your vacation approaches.

2) Divide Responsibilities

Instead of simply leaving your tasks and responsibilities up in the air, it is necessary to have a thorough conversation with the people who will fill in for you while you are away.

Knowing who is responsible for what can ease any stress and ensure that important work tasks get done. Simply make a to-do list and assign it to the most suitable teammates, thus avoiding misunderstandings or the need to tune in and worry about work while on vacation.

3) Set Up Your Automatic Response OOO (Out of the Office)

A simple, technical, but very important task is to set up your “Out of Office” autoresponder in your email. This will ensure that anyone trying to contact you knows not to expect an immediate response or take offense at getting hung up. All you need is a simple text message explaining when you’ll be back and who to contact in the meantime.

4) Take Advantage Of Mobility Solutions

Mobility solutions allow companies to carry on with their usual activity even during vacations without making employees feel overwhelmed. For example, the Enreach Mobile PBX has the following advantages:

• The calls you receive at the switchboard are sent to the mobiles so you can answer calls from anywhere. You can even forward calls to the office.
• You don’t need to configure your equipment. You only have to insert the SIM in the mobile. Each includes unlimited calls, data and switchboard extension.
• Mobile lines do not use the Internet or apps for calls, so you ensure the best quality at all times, anywhere.

If you need any more functionality, Enreach creates a customized plan for your company and your employees, either during the vacation period or during the rest of the year.

5) Sign Out Or Limit Usage In Work-related Apps

You probably have a few work-related apps on your personal phone: email, Slack, LinkedIn, etc. To avoid constantly receiving work-in-progress messages, emails, and other notifications, limit your use of these apps while you’re on vacation.

6) Specify How You Can Be Contacted in an Emergency and What Constitutes One

Emergencies happen and there may be some that you are uniquely qualified for. While it is your right to cut off all contact with the outside world in order to disconnect from work on vacation, it would be greatly appreciated to leave your colleagues a way to contact you in emergency situations.

With that being said, a strict line needs to be drawn as to what constitutes an emergency so that people don’t take advantage of your availability. Make it clear under what circumstances it is okay for them to contact you. This can also help you feel at ease: As long as you don’t get that emergency call, you can rest easy knowing that your team is on top of things and that your involvement isn’t required to remain completely disconnected from work.

7) Set Aside a Day To Update Yourself With Everything on Your Return To Work

A lot can happen at work while you’re away, so prepare ahead of time to spend a day catching up before you return. Catching up on what’s happened while you’re away, responding to backlogs of emails, and listening to your team always take longer than expected, especially if you’ve been away for several weeks.