WORKING ON VACATION
Are vacations where people completely
disconnect from the office a thing of the
past? Research shows "workations" may
continue to be common for some pro-fessionals
today. In a recent survey from
staffing firm Accountemps, 33 per cent
of Canadian workers said they typical-ly
check in with the office at least once or
twice a week during their vacation, not
changing significantly from 36 per cent
one year ago.
On the bright side, those who do con-nect
with the office do so fewer times
during their break: six per cent of work-ers
touch base at least once or twice a day,
compared to 10 per cent in 2016. Their rea-sons
for checking in include gaining peace
of mind that things are under control,
keeping projects moving along, avoiding
coming back to extra work and preventing
colleagues from feeling undue stress.
"Vacations are an opportunity to relax,
recharge and return to work with a clear
head and fresh perspective," said Dianne
Hunnam-Jones, Canadian president of
Accountemps. "Downtime can provide
the break needed for you to come back
more focused and productive. While com-pletely
disconnecting may not be feasible
for all employees, managers should lead
by example by setting limits on time spent
checking in and encouraging their teams
to follow suit."
Additional findings from the Accoun-temps
survey:
■■ Professionals plan to take an average
of 11 vacation days this summer –
unchanged from last year's survey.
■■ Twenty-six per cent of those surveyed
said they plan to take more vacation
days this summer compared to last
year. Thirty-two per cent of workers
55 and over plan on taking more time
off, compared to 30 per cent of those
between the ages of 18 and 34, and only
21 per cent of workers ages 35 to 54.
■■ More than half (53 per cent) of
professionals said they could use more
time to recharge. Fifty-six per cent of
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females surveyed said they don't have
enough time off versus 50 per cent
of males.
Accountemps offers four ways manag-ers
and professionals can unplug while on
vacation:
1. Promote the benefits of taking
vacation. Managers should encourage
their teams to disconnect during their
time off to reap the full advantages of
time away.
2. Let colleagues know. Once your
vacation request has been approved,
give key contacts advanced notice
about your time off. Wrap up projects
and appoint a team member to handle
your daily tasks in your absence. If
you plan to truly disconnect, make it
clear to your manager and team.
3. Set boundaries. If you feel compelled
to check in, set a schedule for the
brief times you'll be accessible and
note it in your out-of-office reply. Try
to avoid checking email outside of
those hours to rest and recharge.
4. Get back on track. Upon your
return, schedule a quick meeting with
Jaren Jai Wicklund/Shutterstock.com
Vacations can be a great
way to relax and recharge
before returning to work
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ JUNE 2017 ❚ 9