To not answer emails from work when I'm on holiday?

[LunarSea]

Yet again I've got emails from work on a day which I've booked off asking me to do thing urgently (and this is after the stuff he sent at 5.10 yesterday when I officially finish at 5.15 and he knew I had the next two days off).

This happens every time - I don't think I've had a single day (including holidays, public holidays and weekends) all year when I've actually not had to work at all. And I'm getting fed up of the attitude that home-based and having a mobile phone seems to mean they think I'm 24x7x52 in the office. Not to mention that one of the group of 4 I work with is leaving and not being replaced (recruitment ban) but they're retaining the requirement for 3 of us to be in on any one day, so in effect none of us are allowed to book any holiday at all for next year.

So I've looked at his email (no read-receipts because I had it autoforwarded so I could read it without logging on!) and I don't see that it's really urgent. It can wait until Monday can't it?

Yes. Let it wait. This is the pot calling the kettle black- but switch off the emails and enjoy your holiday.

Of course it can. Why are you even looking at your work e-mail?

And about next year, isn't it illegal to prevent you from taking your holiday entitlement? I know employers can refuse holiday at certain times etc, but stop you taking it altogether?

They're not exactly saying we can't take it at all, just that we can't take it unless there are at least 3 people in - i.e. once they've recruited someone else... except that they're not going to! They'll apparently start letting us take it by September if there's still no replacement person by then.

Of course it can wait till Monday - you are not at work. If you worked in an office, you wouldn't even see it. Treat it the same as that.

ignore, and claim ignorance of the email. Set your phone to a message that you are not contactable due to holidays and will be available on Monday. Then ignore all calls/email. Tel him you were with your granny in Wales, with no signal and no internet. What can he do? Nada

I would also use it as a springboard for discussion that you are entitled to time off and you will not be responding to emails and work calls in the future if you have booked time off.

You have set yourself up for this by responding to emails in the past. STop doing it. He will soon get the message.

If you are some sort of heart surgeon then maybe you are being a bit unreasonable. If not and nobody is going to die then yanbu. Blackberry -you can disable the email on this when you are not working and still use it for phone calls (if you have not got a personal phone -if you have just turn the crackberry off).
They know you are away and should plan accordingly -it is their failing if they do not have a contingency in place.

I don't think it's entirely legal to make you work 8 months without leave. Contact Citizens' Advice.