Working On Vacation: How To Minimise Disruption and Maximise the Fun On Your Holiday

Even in the most remote location, in the farthest flung regions of the globe, someone’s checking their Slack messages. It sounds silly, but with the line between work and leisure already blurred by COVID, the prevalence of people reading emails in coffee shops, taking calls on Gondolas, or sending slack messages from sunbeds is incredibly common.

And let’s face it, sometimes it's easier to just quickly type out a response or jump on a Zoom call. Especially if it’s in the face of an emergency. Heck, it could make your holiday better knowing you’re keeping the wolves at bay back home, especially if you’re in a management position or run your own business. So, if deep down you know you’re going to have to do some work during vacation time, how should you conduct yourself to minimise time away from your deck chair and your family? Well…

Plan to not work. At all.

Seriously. You’re not using all your leave up just so you can work remotely. Do all you can before your departure date to avoid working at all while you’re away. Sure, emergencies happen, but ultimately the way you avoid working on holiday is to delegate your important tasks in advance, give your juniors training where necessary, and act as if you will actually be uncontactable when you’re on summer vacation

Phone calls only.

Make yourself only contactable by phone. That way you get a mental break from constantly checking your work messages. Share your phone number and let all relevant parties know that they must only call you to get in contact. We both know that otherwise you won’t be able to resist those Slack messages.

Don’t duck gently into that good night.

You don’t want to remember your holiday as a montage of you constantly leaving the table/room/restaurant to quickly chat to your colleagues about this client or that project. If something genuinely comes up, communicate clearly to your holiday mates why you’re leaving and set clear limits for how long you’ll spend away.

Make time & space for the work.

If you have to regularly spend personal time throughout the day working, it’s best to plan ahead so you’re not constantly surprising those around you. If you’re a morning person, plan to spend a few hours answering emails or take calls at the start of the day. You could go sit in a local coffee shop or library to do your work. Making your work activity predictable and easy to plan around will ensure that those you’re with aren’t being affected.

Check your attitude at the door.

The worst, worst thing is to complain about work when you’re on vacation, especially if the thing you’re complaining about is also taking you away from your family members. People will feign interest in your work issues, but really what they’re asking is ‘Are you ready to focus on our holiday now?’ The answer to this question should always be ‘yes’, so be ready to switch on for your planned work time, before just as quickly switching off when you’re done. Trust us, it’ll make everything much, much easier.

Can an employer legally require you to work while on vacation?

In legal terms, the only scenario where an employer can expect an employee to work on vacation is if it’s stipulated explicitly in their employment contract and award. Bar this, there is no legal precedent where a court would support an employer interfering with an employee while they’re on leave.

Obviously, in real terms, company culture, work responsibilities and level of seniority also play a huge factor in employer expectations. If you’re in a supervisory, management or directorial position, it may be harder to go full ‘lights-out’ for two weeks. This is where, as we mention above, planning ahead of your departure date to delegate, train and prepare co-workers and direct reports for your absence is the best way to enjoy your holiday, minimising the amount of remote work you have to do.

The bottom line.

In one word: preparation. Both ahead of your holiday and while you’re on it. Prepare those around you for your absence and delegate, delegate, delegate. And, if you have to work, set aside time in advance so that you and your loved ones are ready for your absences. They’ll thank you for it later - hopefully.