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Original poster

Work phone when on Annual Leave

139 replies

AndOnAndOn · 09/04/2019 15:23

Can anyone share their experience/views with me please as they differ wildly in our house......

When on annual leave do you generally read/respond to work emails, What's App, text messages? Do you continue to keep an eye on work related social media, retweet, like posts etc?

Or when you are off you are off? Do you manage to put your out of office on and switch off from work completely?

I appreciate if you have one phone that is sued for both work and social it may be more tricky, how about if you have a separate work phone?

Thanks.

OP posts:
PookieDo · 09/04/2019 16:56

I will leave it on and screen the calls. Respond if I want to
Same with emails

ScreamingValenta · 09/04/2019 16:58

Work phone and laptop stay switched off. I once got called on my personal mobile by someone wanting me to 'pop into the office' to do something ... very sadly, I was 400 miles away from the office Grin.

EggysMom · 09/04/2019 16:58

Work phone gets switched off and left in drawer at desk (locked for security). That way I'm not tempted.

My out-of-office directs enquirers to three different team mailboxes depending on the query. When I get back to the office, I move all the emails which came in during my absence, into a subfolder called 'holiday'. I then only go through it when I have time; my presumption is that, if it were important, they would have re-sent their email to one of my team.

Dothehappydance · 09/04/2019 17:04

Phone stays off and in drawer. No one really covers for me either (and I'm a lowly minion)

Only once did I say ring me if needed. But it was a very specific situation.

Margot33 · 09/04/2019 17:04

Switch off your work phone. Get a cheap pay as you go mobile and give that number to friends and family, set up your whatsapp and messenger.

JessieMcJessie · 09/04/2019 17:16

My husband works in an investment bank. At least once a year all employees are required to take two consecutive weeks of leave and not access any of their systems during that time. The reasoning behind this is to prevent people from perpetrating fraud, because they have to relinquish control to colleagues. It’s also a great system for family life!

BigGlasses · 09/04/2019 17:16

I don't have a work phone so no texts etc. Emails I put an out of office on and depending on the holiday I may check or I may not. It's entirely for my own benefit though if I do check, just so I know what is going on. I have 2 close colleagues in my team who will text my personal mobile and ask for a 1 or 2 minute answer if required, but in general holiday means holiday.

I am very much of the opinion that although people think its urgent, actually its not. There is no-one lying in a hospital bed whose health depends upon any of my actions, whether I reply to someone today or next week, the world will not stop turning.

MrsD28 · 09/04/2019 17:18

I use the same phone for both work and personal, but when I am on annual leave I don't look at work emails at all (indeed, I don't look at work emails at all outside of working hours, unless I know that there is something urgent coming through that will require my immediate attention). I may look at the odd work email when I am off sick, as that absence is unexpected and thus I will not have had a chance to inform clients and colleagues that I will be away. I have turned off all notifications on my phone, so I wouldn't know that there is an email unless I go in and look for it.

Everyone I work with closely has my mobile number, and if there was a genuine emergency in which they really, really needed to contact me they can always call me. But this has only every happened once or twice over many years - and I work in an "always on" type industry.

I agree with PP who said that constant access to work emails is creating a sort of virtual presenteeism. I think that in the vast majority of cases, in the vast majority of jobs, it (whatever it is) doesn't actually need to be done right now.

womandear · 09/04/2019 17:20

I turn it off and I don’t check it at all. I have an out of office on that re-directs to a colleague and I give my personal number /email to said colleague for Things that absolutely cannot wait. No one has ever had to call my personal number.
Most my European colleagues do similar, most US colleagues check their emails everyday and respond to the most mundane emails. It’s not healthy.

Taswama · 09/04/2019 17:20

My work phone is off at weekends and when I’m on leave.
DP only has a work phone now (got rid of personal one a couple of years ago as it was never used as work phone much better quality). I know he does keep half an eye on it when we’re on leave, he is more senior though.
We both have out of office on when on leave though. Not being ‘allowed’ to put one on is terrible!

Bibijayne · 09/04/2019 17:21

Out of office on. Work phone off. If I see work stuff in a general scan of social media, I may like/share/retweet. Might not. Anything urgent my team have my personal phone. Only been contacted once.

womandear · 09/04/2019 17:22

It’s presenteism in another form. I am very successful, but work remotely. I’m in a high pressure job but insist on turning that off at 6pm every evening to see my family. I don’t feel bad about turning it all off on holiday.

BlokeHereInPeace · 09/04/2019 17:34

I hate this 'I'm on holiday but do emails' stuff.For what it's worth I manage 20 people. They are clearly told that holiday means holiday. No emails, no calls. If it's a long break they should let clients and others know that they are going to be away, leave clear handover notes, put a clear out of office and re-record the message on their work phone and then just GO ON BLOODY HOLIDAY and come back rested and refreshed. Or have a day off to see their mum, or whatever.

Holiday means holiday. Day off means day off.

If you are relatively senior and paid enough I think it's fair to say 'text me on the personal number in real emergencies'. My boss has had to do that once in the past 10 years and she was right to do it.

CountFosco · 09/04/2019 17:43

I think it depends on what kind of level you are. If you are junior then you shouldn't have to check your work phone/email because you aren't paid enough. If you are very senior you can tell people to piss off when you are on holiday (but are probably working all hours the rest of the time). If you are in the middle then you'll probably check it.

I check my messages once a day if I'm on leave in the UK just so I'm aware of anything important. I'm probably with the extended family and enjoy the break from them to think about work for a bit! When DH and I go abroad with the kids I don't check anything.

Taswama · 09/04/2019 18:23

Great tip EggysMom

Spidey66 · 09/04/2019 18:26

Off. Always off. If I'm sick and therefore don't have my out of office I may well check and forward on, otherwise no way.

RomanyQueen1 · 09/04/2019 18:28

I can't believe people are expected to be on call when on holiday.
I don't think anyone could pay me enough for me to think once about work when on holiday.
Maybe it's living to work as opposed to working to live.

Alsohuman · 09/04/2019 18:34

It’s self importance. “Look how important I am. I’m indispensable. The place would collapse without me”. Probably rooted in insecurity. Any of us could walk under a bus tomorrow and our place of employment would continue to function perfectly well.

onceandneveragain · 09/04/2019 18:34

switched off and left in bag until I'm back in! I am fairly junior and civil service though.

I am friendly with a lot of the people I work with, so if they were desperate to get hold of me for something work related and messaged me on my personal number I would switch on work phone and forward an email or whatever if needed but not more than that! Think it's a slippery slope otherwise, but agree there are different expectations the more senior you are...

Surfingtheweb · 09/04/2019 18:34

I used to do my e mails every day. I've recently got a personal phone deliberately that I can switch my work phone off when I finish for the day & now leave it at home when I go on holiday.

ForalltheSaints · 09/04/2019 18:38

The phone does not come with me on holiday. It is only used at weekends if it is more convenient for taking photos than a camera, or if I need to know my way to something as I am travelling (I have no personal mobile).

Squickety · 09/04/2019 18:40

Mine goes off and in a drawer if I'm on 'proper' annual leave and I need to mentally switch off to get down time. If I'm just taking a days annual leave (e.g. to get something done round the house) then I do usually keep an eye on emails as I'm not properly in holiday mode anyway.

I work with people who are switched on pretty much 24/7/365 and I think it probably does annoy them that I don't respond to anything or take calls when I'm on holiday but they are paid a LOT more than me!

purplealiensdontwearhats · 09/04/2019 18:41

Work get their moneys worth out of me when I'm there. When I'm holidays they can just fuck off. I'm on holiday.

Olbaaa · 09/04/2019 18:45

I answer slack messages and emails when on holiday, it's easier for me to not let them pile up, but also the company I work for is incredibly flexible, re hours and holidays, so I don't mind picking up emails once a day on holidays when I've took a holiday with little notice or a really long one type thing.

DropZoneOne · 09/04/2019 18:46

Annual leave is my time off! Work phone is switched off and left behind, likewise laptop. Out of office gives details of departments who can help with burning issues (payments, customer relations), but nothing that i deal with shouldn't be able to wait a couple of weeks.

I tend to put my holiday dates on my email sign off for a couple of weeks before i go, so those I'm in recent contact with know I'm going to be away.

If I'm having a single day off for childcare and just pottering around at home, then I'll check emails at lunchtime so i can delete the crap out. But the 3 times a year when i take a chunk of time off is my much-needed downtime.

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