Summertime, and the Livin' is Easy?

by Leslie Jaye Goff

June 17, 2002 —

Is a vacation really a vacation if the folks at the office know how to
reach you? Can you really trust them to try reaching you only in the
event of a real office emergency? The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray
& Christmas, Chicago, which regularly dispatches reports on the job
market, layoffs, office productivity and other workplace trends, sent
out an advisory in May urging workers to stay connected during their
vacation.

If you really want to relax while you're lounging on the beach, the
company suggests, then cart along your cell phone, your Palm, your pager
and your laptop. "Enjoy some peace of mind knowing you are not putting
your work at risk by going away," the advisory states

"It used to be that vacations meant hiding out from the office," says
John Challenger, CEO of the outplacement firm. "The global economy has
changed all of that. In this 24/7 environment, being out of sight could
lead to being out of a job. Now, more than ever, it is critical that
vacationing employees stay virtually visible while out of the office."

This suggestion seems reasonable on the surface, and IT professionals
increasingly report in office-based surveys that they don't take
vacations at all or are regularly interrupted by work on vacation. A
poll by the IT community site TechRepublic.com last year found that 70%
of independent IT consultants had cancelled or cut short a vacation
because of work, for example.

But, if you take this logic to its furthest extreme, agreeing to stay
connected to the office while vacationing -- in other words, agreeing to
give up one of the benefits calculated into your overall compensation
plan (because, after all, your vacation is one of your guaranteed
benefits) -- is analogous to declining any of your non-cash
compensation.

That is, if you're really worried about your job security, just offer to
pay for your own insurance. And why bother with paternity leave or a
401K plan? Just let your employer know that you don't need your bonus or
any of the other benefits calculated as part of your salary, and you'll
be sure not to get downsized.

"As work-life balance grows in importance, some commentators deride what
some call office-obsessed people who cannot shut off work even while
vacationing," the Challenger advisory further stated. "But the same
office-obsessed worker is recognized by the employer as someone who puts
the needs of the company first and therefore will likely survive any
workforce reductions."

Somehow I doubt that when the corporate axe swings, HQ calls up line
managers to ask which of their employees took their cell phones and
Palms on vacation. "Oh, the Java team leader had a FAX machine in her
hotel room last summer? OK, let's keep her on the payroll."

Try to keep this mantra in mind: No one looking back over their lives
ever wished they had spent more time at the office. If you are so
worried about your job security that you think it will help to allow
co-workers to call you while you're boating down the Seine, then your
job is likely in jeopardy anyway. Unless you are self-employed, or a
critical project leader or manager, you should well expect -- and be
expected to -- truly get away from it all when you're on vacation.

If your company fails to share this expectation, then instead of
declining to reap the full benefit of your vacation benefit, try to
schedule your vacation during slow periods or times when the office is
likely to be fully staffed. For example, instead of August, when
everyone else wants to be away also, try to take your vacation in early
June. If you don't have school-aged children (in which case your
available vacation time would be restricted to summer and holiday
breaks), then ask for your vacation in May or late September.

Before your vacation, put in some extra hours to tie up all the loose
ends on the job, and delegate co-workers to be in charge of key tasks
while you're away -- plus, offer to do the same for them when their
vacation comes up. Before leaving the office, email your direct
supervisor on where all your projects stand and who is taking over what
while you're gone. If you don't feel right just leaving without offering
anyone your contact information, share it with one trusted co-worker who
you know will get in touch only if it's truly essential.

While there's something to be said for dedication to the job and loyalty
to your teammates, managers also take notice of workers who are able to
prioritize and who can keep things in their proper perspective. And
sometimes, for the sake of your continued enthusiasm for your career and
your job, the item at the top of the priority list needs to be you.

ITworld