BlogHer - What if you were forbidden to answer work emails on vacation? - Comments

depends who the boss is

A Year of CrockPotting — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 10:57:54 -0500

When I was working for other people, I wouldn't think twice about calling in to check voice mail or contemplate bringing a laptop on vacation to check email. Now that I work for myself, I am never far from connectivity.

I left a cocktail party for a few minutes last night to run home and check email.

weird.

-steph

A Year of CrockPotting

Oh no!!

Toppergem — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:40:49 -0500

Emails are a no-no during vacation. If there is an emergency that needs my immediate attention my boss has my cellphone number. But, he has never had to call me.

Oh my, if my boss told me

Pepperbar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:55:11 -0500

Oh my, if my boss told me that I'd probably hug him. I refuse to check email/vm on vacation anyways, much I refuse to come in on my days off. I'll work overtime, just not on my days off. That time is mine, not my employer's.

I don't live here, it's just a timeshare

I wish....

coreycirillo — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:38:00 -0500

I had the will power to not check emails (or even vmails) while on vacation. Not an easy rule of thumb to follow. Unfortunately, when you work in the industry I do, everyday matters. As well, I have a problem letting go. I know things will either get done or will be there waiting for me when I return. Despite knowing this I still feel better just checking emails and responding or forwarding only those that are urgent. I think first order of business for me is to lose the "control-freak" mentality. Yeah, I know...it's a problem.

Tough to do

redsandal59 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:05:54 -0500

I find that if I give everyone advance warning that I'm going on vacation, they bombard me 3 days before I leave making the last few days before I go insane! I've learned it's better to sneak away. I do put the "I'm on vacation" notice on my email account, but I still check it anyway. It's less stressful for me when I get back to not have the deluge all at once.

No work emails on vacation

sassymonkey — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:05:59 -0500

That is the first rule of vacation.

I had to do this in my last job - not because my bosses ordered me to. More bosses should though. People need down time. I'm paid to work for a company - not live for them.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

I wish I could...

alvenable — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:04:04 -0500

...not check my e-mail while away from the office. I could give clients a month's notice and something would come up that would need my attention ASAP while I'm out. Even while at BlogHer last month, I still had to check in on a couple of items.

From my perspective, it comes down to office culture. If everyone is doing work through vacations, if you don't, you feel like a slacker for truly taking time off.

Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com

It's necessary

slmagill — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:40:10 -0500

I think it's necessary to take a mental break from email, etc. during a vacation. Otherwise, I feel like I am still at work. It's hard not to look at your email and try and take care of some of the easier issues, but I always end up getting sucked into some semi-crisis drama and it ends up consuming my time away. I vow this year to leave it alone. :)

suzi

It's a shock for Clients

Elana Centor — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:48:26 -0500

Earlier this year I took a four day weekend and didn't answer email. My clients evidently didn't remember that I said I would be offline and they were none to happy about my absence.

Lesson learned: prepare folks well in advance that you really are taking an email break and then remember to put that away message on the email. Mea culpa

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

Good for you Maryrwise!

Lisa Stone — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:33:00 -0500

I went on a vacation last August where I was completely cut off and it was heaven. My June vacation where I was wired two hours a day? Torture.

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

Nope

maryrwise — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:25:35 -0500

I do not answer work emails on vacation. Why? I can't. And I set it up to be that way. I give my boss my cell phone number in case there's something that absolutely positively needs to come my way, but she has never called me. Vacation is sacred!

The Blog: Red Nose The Book: Girl Clown

What if you were forbidden to answer work emails on vacation?

Lisa Stone — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:52:12 -0500

"My question to you is, how would you react if your boss forbid you from answering emails on vacation?" asks BlogHer CE Elana Centor.

Elana blogs AOL's fourth annual Email Addiction Survey, as well as great stories of bloggers whose bosses get mad if they DO read email on vacay, even a London firm forbidding lawyers from taking Blackberries on holiday.

Check it out, especially if you think you can quit any time you like.

And if you answer Elana, tell us: If you do answer emails on vacation, WHY do you?

Image credit: blogs.psychologytoday.com