July 20, 2018 at 9:53 am
Chris Wooding - Friday, July 20, 2018 9:09 AMI work in finance in the UK and, theoretically, it is compulsory for everyone to take a 2-week block of holiday each year (presumably so that anything dodgy they were up to comes to light). However, most people in both the business and the IT side tend to check in during their time off. There are two problems with this; 1) the intention behind the regulation is not followed, 2) there is a tendency for everyone to leave things until you get back if you're the "subject matter expert". It's the latter that bothers me the most - if people always leave things for the SME, no-one else is learning how to cover. There's a self-perpetuating key person dependency that gets worse over time rather than better.
Exactly. One of the downsides of dog eat dog, rat race, capitalistic let's do better than other mentality that permeates society.
July 20, 2018 at 9:54 am
jasona.work - Friday, July 20, 2018 8:23 AMOh no, I didn't feel picked on in the least, after all, I posted the comment that led to the editorial, so...
The frightening part? I'd bet you ain't that much older than me...
:hehe:
Hopefully we're both learning to be better
July 20, 2018 at 9:55 am
allinadazework - Friday, July 20, 2018 1:33 AMHave a great break Steve! Turn that switch off for a bit.
Thanks
July 20, 2018 at 9:56 am
David.Poole - Friday, July 20, 2018 2:06 AMI've just got back from a 2 week cruise around Scotland, Iceland and Ireland. I deliberately didn't take any form of electronic device, didn't watch the news, avoided the onboard newspaper.When I got back my Garmin watch synchronised with its app and told me that I wasn't dead, just incredibly relaxed. I can recommend a total break, Iceland is amazing, Ireland is definitely on my visit again list.
Nice. hopefully my Garmin stores enough data if I'm cut off, though I think I'll keep bluetooth on my phone. I like seeing my HR and sleep to be sure things are going well
July 20, 2018 at 9:57 am
call.copse - Friday, July 20, 2018 2:39 AMThe older you get you realise a lot of the urgency of whatever tasks is purely manufactured. Of course there are real deadlines imposed by various events and the skill is to prioritise based on the real requirements not what some marketing guy has gotten het up about. For most of us, no-one is going to die.
As my wife reminds me always, "we're not saving babies". If we are, then be urgent and connected. If we're not, then relax a bit.
July 20, 2018 at 9:59 am
roger.plowman - Friday, July 20, 2018 6:45 AMVery annoying to have to take time off in the middle of a development hot streak, you know? 🙂
There's always another streak coming.
July 20, 2018 at 10:00 am
GoneWithTheWind - Friday, July 20, 2018 6:03 AMI loved today's blog! This is just so true!
Thanks
July 20, 2018 at 10:01 am
RayC-714046 - Friday, July 20, 2018 7:24 AMSo hopefully, you can be offline over the next 2 weeks, and have management that is at least courteous enough to let you have your vacation to yourself.
They will. One of the nice things working for a European company. They respect time off and unless it's a "the company is going to lose $50,000 today", they don't bother anyone. One person had to make a legal commitment and missed a day of vacation. They made it up to that individual.
July 20, 2018 at 10:03 am
Jeff Mlakar - Friday, July 20, 2018 7:27 AMTime to unplug is crucial to our well-being. I don't mind sprinting but I don't want to sprint a marathon. I took my first cruise this year and it was so refreshing to not even be able to have cellular service on the seas. Wifi was way too expensive.
Good for you, Jeff.
July 23, 2018 at 3:49 am
Apologies to all of you out there, but I have no qualms about taking my 34 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays and the odd flex day.
It's a bit like doing a four day week.
July 23, 2018 at 11:08 am
I agree with the sentiment, but I know many people work for organizations or managers who do not respect time off or consider it their responsibility to have staff redundancies and back-up personnel for each task. As such, I fear many people do not have the option of truly unplugging.
July 23, 2018 at 1:17 pm
m_swetz - Monday, July 23, 2018 11:08 AMI agree with the sentiment, but I know many people work for organizations or managers who do not respect time off or consider it their responsibility to have staff redundancies and back-up personnel for each task. As such, I fear many people do not have the option of truly unplugging.
This is the kind of organization/manager that I wouldn't and couldn't work for. Studies have shown people to more effective at their jobs when they have time away from work. I think if enough people left this type of company because of not getting time off then maybe things would change. Life is to short, take your vacation. Or send it to me. 😉
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we travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us
Don't fear failure, fear regret.
July 24, 2018 at 8:42 am
below86 - Monday, July 23, 2018 1:17 PMm_swetz - Monday, July 23, 2018 11:08 AMI agree with the sentiment, but I know many people work for organizations or managers who do not respect time off or consider it their responsibility to have staff redundancies and back-up personnel for each task. As such, I fear many people do not have the option of truly unplugging.This is the kind of organization/manager that I wouldn't and couldn't work for. Studies have shown people to more effective at their jobs when they have time away from work. I think if enough people left this type of company because of not getting time off then maybe things would change. Life is to short, take your vacation. Or send it to me. 😉
I agree with you, in principal. But sometimes the option of leaving is not available.
Kindest Regards, Rod Connect with me on LinkedIn.
July 24, 2018 at 8:50 am
So after reading (and being the inspiration for) the article, I'm now seriously considering saying the heck with it when I go on vacation later next month.
Leave the work phone at home, leave the work laptop at home (I'd leave it at the office but I've got server patching on track for the Saturday before my vacation "officially" starts.
If they need me, they can reach my personal cell (not that I'm likely to hear it, or notice the call until later in the day or something,) and I won't have a way to remote work...
The only reason I won't do this, will be if the bosses expressly ask me to take my gear along, with the understanding that I'm not going to be checking it on any sort of schedule (and at that, I'd only glance at the phone to see if there were any e-mails, the laptop would only come out for a full-out emergency.)
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