Managing Work Interruptions on Your Vacation Getaway

A vacation is meant to be a break from the everyday duties of work and home life.

However, it’s sometimes hard to let go of these responsibilities and truly relax. In particular, you may not want your professional life to suffer just so you can have some time off to travel. A surprising 75% of people work while on vacation, with 37% of them checking in on work at least once per vacation day. Learn how to balance any interruptions from work to make the most out of your time away from the desk.

The Importance of Allowing Yourself a True Vacation

While it’s noble to keep tabs on work goings-on while away from the office, you also deserve to give yourself a break. Many U.S. workers have a hard time doing so, citing the following reasons that 46% don’t use all of their paid time off (PTO):

• A manager/supervisor discourages time off (12%);

• They think they may lose their job (16%);

• They think they may hurt advancement opportunities (19%);

• They feel bad about giving co-workers extra responsibilities (43%);

• They worry they may fall behind on work (49%);

• They feel they don’t need more time off (52%). 

Although these perceptions are valid, it’s important for employees — regardless of rank — to understand that their vacation time is given to them for a reason. Time off from work may feel scary, but it can help your performance in the long run. The benefits of vacationing include: 

• Lowered stress levels;

• Improved physical health, like lower blood pressure and less chronic pain;

• Improved mental health, such as lower instances of depression and anxiety;

• Better quality of sleep;

• Boosted interpersonal relationships;

• Less frequent burnout;

• Increased motivation, focus, and productivity upon returning to work.

If you’re traveling with others, it’s natural — and encouraged — to want to give them some of your valuable time. After all, traveling creates lasting memories, and you want to spend some time cherishing those special moments with the ones you love. Work tasks can wait, but your mental and physical health may suffer if you don’t take time off to work on yourself. Ultimately, your work performance may also decline.

Whether you’re using your PTO to travel with others or solo, it’s important to go into vacation mode with a plan. Use the following tips to make the most of your time away from work, personally and professionally. 

Communicate Expectations

Once you put in that PTO request, you may feel unsettled until it’s time to take off. A way to alleviate some of that tension is to simply be transparent about your expectations for this time. Regardless of your position in the company, it’s important to communicate to colleagues, superiors, and clients about your planned vacation time. Make sure they know that it is not a business trip. This way, they can adequately prepare for your absence. 

Work will be less likely to pile up while you’re away. You will have told your team exactly how long you are gone and how much you expect to get done while traveling. This allows them to fill in the gaps and be less inclined to call you frantically during your sacred time off. 

Set Clear Boundaries

A part of clear communication is setting healthy boundaries. Have as many conversations, in writing if necessary, to determine how much work you will be doing on vacation and how you may be contacted. For example, you might give coworkers your personal number for emergencies only, and you have to enforce that boundary by outlining what constitutes a work emergency. 

As a full-time employee, you’re guaranteed benefits that typically include an allotted amount of paid vacation time. You are compensated for these days, so you technically should be off the clock. It should be a given that you aren’t working when you aren’t getting paid for that work. However, expectations can get muddled when you allow constant access to yourself. 

Instead, make your team aware of the times that you will be working on the road and utilize a hybrid working model to make sure you are fairly compensated. If you find that your team is disrespecting your boundaries during vacation time, feel free to respond by restating those boundaries. You can even consider putting your notifications on snooze so that you aren’t tempted to check your email or respond to every work text right away.

“Unplug” When You Can

It’s also perfectly respectable to take your entire vacation to not think about work, much less participate in work activities. You shouldn’t have to worry about falling behind if you have adequately prepared before you leave. Further, you can’t be penalized for taking company-granted vacation time. Try to be mindful during your vacation, taking in the present moment and making lasting memories.

If you’re looking at your phone the whole time, you are less likely to be present and in the moment. On the trip to your destination, think about how you can minimize distractions. For example, spend less time idling to travel sustainably and decrease the likelihood of looking at your phone while driving. You can also snooze all notifications and set up your GPS directions ahead of time to minimize the time you have to spend looking at your phone and, therefore, be tempted to check your work email or text popups. 

When you arrive at your destination, stick to your predetermined schedule. This will not only help you mentally take a break from work, but it will keep your team from thinking that overstepping your boundaries is okay during vacation. When it’s time to stop working, you can physically “unplug” your devices or pause notifications so you can focus on relaxing.

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Remember that vacation time is given to employees to benefit them and the company in the long run. Use this time wisely, giving only predetermined time to your work tasks while away. Above all, enjoy your vacation time knowing that you’ll come back refreshed and ready to tackle anything work throws your way.