You’re finally getting around to taking that vacation. But whether it’s an important project or a last-minute fire drill, as your departure date gets closer and closer, it’s clear that some of your work is going to encroach on your time away.
If so, you’re not alone. A May 2018 survey by staffing firm Accountemps found that 56% of workers will connect with the office during their break. And while we all know the economic and career benefits of vacation, sometimes taking care of business on your break is unavoidable.
“I’m not one of those persons who says you should never do any work on a vacation. On the other hand, it’s obviously clear that it’s a slippery slope, so you must find some way so that the expectations don’t become that you’re going do this on any kind of regular basis, because that will defeat the purpose,” says John de Graaf, founder of Take Back Your Time, an organization that advocates against the culture of overwork in our society, and author of Take Back Your Time: Fighting Overwork and Time Poverty in America.
So, how can you do what you need to do and still feel like you got a break? Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Create a getaway plan
It may be too late to devote weeks to planning your getaway, but ideally, you would start thinking at least a few weeks ahead about deadlines and what will need to be covered while you’re out, says leadership expert Holly Dowling. And give people at least two weeks’ warning that you’re going to be out of office. Use key opportunities like staff or project meetings to remind them, as well as manage expectations about being disconnected.
Related: Is it possible to totally unplug on vacation?
“Communicate with each other, your teams and everyone you’re serving,” she says. “Don’t just throw it out there on your out of office,” she says.