Emails - annual leave

[BearHuntAgain]

I’m genuinely questioning whether I’m being unreasonable or my manager is.

I work in a relatively small team for a large multinational company. We’re a very busy team and there’s never enough hours in the day. Since coming back from mat leave I’ve definitely been putting stronger boundaries in place regarding my working hours.

I’m taking annual leave the rest of this week and DH are going away just the two of us for the first time since having DC2 (she’s two). it’s been a really shit 6 months and we really need this.

At the end of our team meeting my boss mentioned about taking my work phone and just checking emails at the end of the day in case there are any emergencies. I basically said no. He then emailed me after the meeting to say that I was setting a bad example to the junior members of the team.

I responded saying that it’s important for everyone to switch off on annual leave. I’d have my personal phone for them to get hold of me if an emergency. He responded reiterating it didn’t take long to check and forward on anything urgent.

Everyone in the company knows who my colleagues are and would reach out to them if urgent. I’m not so senior that I’m paid an amazing wage so it justifies being available. And I’m going to have an out of office on saying to contact my colleagues if needed.

I’m really annoyed that it’s on me to actively log into my emails to check each day (technically only away for three days).

YABU - it’s a quick check just to make sure nothing urgent has been sent.

YANBU - it’s your annual leave. It’s encroaching on your time and your team can cope for a few days without you.

You’re setting a good example to the team of work/ life balance and workplace boundaries.

Having technology does not mean that work can contact you at any time.

Unless they’re offering substantial ‘on call’ payments (that’d you’d consider taking), you should be allowed to leave work behind entirely when on leave.

Enjoy your break!

YANBU. I'm very precious about my annual leave and would not be happy about this either. Holidays are about relaxing and recharging. How on earth is someone supposed to do this when they're being asked to check their emails every day? You've already said you're available for emergency contact, that's more than enough. I'm so pleased I don't work for your manager.

I agree completely, and it's that last line that probably explains why he asked in front of the junior members - and is also the real source of his annoyance

Very likely, too, that the emergenies only thing would become any old stuff, and the checking in the evening turn into faux surprise that OP hadnt seen something

So well done to OP for keeping proper boundaries

I am quite senior and I am always adamant that annual leave is annual leave. If my team email me when they’re on leave I ask them to log off and enjoy their time and work will wait. I’m with you on this

Nope, phone stays in my laptop bag, switched off during any day I am not at work (I work p/t).

My out of office message tells everyone who to contact by our group email as individual emails are not checked.

Only our senior management is checking emails and even then they don't necessarily respond but just forward to someone else. Or not at all as they clearly know that any internal sender knows whom to reach in anyones absence.

My actual team can contact me via my personal phone but it only happed once in a blue moon when there is a response required before I am back.

YANBU

Make sure your OOO is on and details who any urgent matters should be directed to.

If anything you are setting a good example for junior staff members. Annual leave should be a total switch off from work 😊

You have done the right thing. Turn off your work phone, leave it at home and enjoy your annual leave.

What a load of baloney, setting a bad example to junior members of the team? Nah, it’s setting a good example, showing the importance of taking a break!

just make sure your OOO is on, with a forwarding contact number/email address for these so called emergencies…

Keep very careful notes of this interaction date stamped preferably, an email to yourself.
His behaviour is deeply wrong and inappropriate.
Absolutely a HR matter.

You are under no obligation whatsoever to log on during holidays.
Treat your manager as hostile from now on.
Keep careful notes.

Yanbu. Excellent example to younger staff.

One of my favourite ever Alex cartoons (hope this works...)

We would always have IT forward our emails to another employee so nothing was missed.

Ah - "image under review". I suspect that may take a while, given recent events. Never mind.

In my experience even our CIO and CFO, in a massive multinational with over 100k employees, go on holiday and don’t check in. They are absolutely reachable if something is on fire and their input is needed. They are absolutely not checking and responding to email every day during their week off. People who do this all the time are surely workaholics, control freaks or hiding something so can’t allow someone else to be their stand in.

Anyone could die, be seriously injured/ill or quit to go to a competitor and need to be put on gardening leave any time. If a company genuinely can’t deal with one person being off for a week then they have a serious problem.

Hope you have a lovely holiday OP

Well that's me proved wrong!

Yep. The only person setting a bad example here is your manager. I manage a team and I'm the one who tries to set a good example by not checking email at weekends or in the evenings. During leave I put on OOO. You can easily put a forwarding email address on am autoreply email in case of emergencies. Your manager is crazy (and a bad manager tbh).

I do think it slightly depends what your job is. For example if you’re a vicar and the church burns down, I would count that as an emergency worthy of being contacted about while on holiday.

I hate nothing more than people 'checking in' when they are on leave.

If they have an OOO and I pick it up that's fine. But I want a whole task.

I don't want them asking for some information, it being sent to them and not me, but then being out of contact all day because they are on leave.

It slows things down and confuses things.

Picking up something half way through is always worse than dealing with it from the beginning.

Flattering to know how irreplaceable you are, but I think a firm reiteration is in order:

I will not be checking emails or my work phone on holiday so I suggest you factor that into the plans for next week.

And a clear auto reply email to that effect.

This all the way.

Of course you should check your emails!

Forward every single one to your boss with the addition-

This looks urgent, thought you'd want it.

In fact can you get your inbox to do it automatically??

Bosses like that forced me out of the workplace.

I work on a Director role as an employee for a business. When I go on annual leave, I put my out of office on and I don't check emails or answer any calls.

I'd recommend you do the same, and tell your manager that the example you are setting to the younger/newer team members is very much a healthy one!

Definitely not the norm in my industry

Your manager is being unreasonable.

Personally, I would play along and agree. Yes boss, no problem!

Then I would not check and if there was some problem I would say “no signal”

I would be 100% play along and put on my game-face in that meeting because I would want good raise, good bonus - I would play the game.

I would let someone else fight the fight. Because at promotion, raise or bonus decision time - there would be positive vibes for me.

Forward the email to HR. Ask them if you are in the wrong. If they say “yes” (unlikely) then time to look for a new job. No-one wants to work for a company that think so little of their employees’ wellbeing.