Avoid the Summertime Blues –
How to Manage During the Vacation Season

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Summertime and the living is easy…or is it?  For managers, the summer season can be stressful, especially when they and their key employees are planning vacations.  Work still needs to get done despite everyone’s desire for time off.

At times, it can be tempting for managers to cancel their vacations and encourage employees to do the same.  However, experts warn against these actions.  Psychologists and HR professionals agree that taking time to rest and refuel is vital to a person’s health and well-being.

In the Career Journal article, Canceling a Vacation Can Cost You Dearly, Wall Street Journal columnist Sue Shellenbarger stresses the importance of getting away from the office. “If you are considering canceling a vacation, and if you have a choice in the matter, don't do it,” said Shellenbarger.   In her article, she references a 14-year study of 12,866 men, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, which found annual vacations sharply reduced the risk of death among middle-aged men. Similarly, a 20-year study of 749 middle-aged women by the Centers for Disease Control found a link between a lack of vacations and higher risk of heart attack and death.

But how easy is it to truly get away? Gadgets that are geared to make working while on the road convenient, such as laptops, PDAs, and cell phones, can be highly distracting when taking time off.  As revealed in a recent study commissioned by America Online, e-mail addiction is running rampant in the United States. About a fourth of the respondents acknowledged being so addicted to e-mail that they can't go more than a couple of days without checking their messages.  In addition, 60% of respondents admitted logging into their in-boxes while they are on vacation.     

“Technology has created an e-leash of sorts where workers can be reached anytime anywhere,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com, in the article One-Third of Workers Will Be Taking The Office With Them on Vacation This Year, CareerBuilder.com Survey Reveals.  “One-in-ten workers report they check in with the office while on vacation at least once a day. This defeats the whole purpose of getting away and spending quality time with family and friends.”

E-mail addiction aside, there are ways to truly enjoy a vacation and avoid stress.  The key is planning ahead.  Paul McDonald, Executive Director of Robert Half Management Resources, suggests the following tips in the HR Reporter article, What the CFO does on a Summer Vacation:

·        Designate point persons.  Inform outside contacts in advance of your upcoming vacation and let them know who will be managing your work while you are away.  Be sure to include your point person’s contact information in out of office reply e-mails and voice mail messages. 

·        Provide clear instructions.  Let your team know exactly what you are working on, and how to handle possible issues in case emergencies or concerns arise.

·        Determine “check-in” times.  If you can’t avoid checking your e-mail and voice mail, only do so at a specific time rather than throughout the day.  Let your team know exactly when you will be checking in so that any matters can be discussed at that time.  

When it comes to vacation days, as well as holidays and sick days, many companies are starting to take a creative approach. “Consider pooling all of these days into a day off ‘bank.’ Employees may get, for instance, 150 hours off a year (about 19 work days). The bank would include days off for all holidays (typically 11 or so), a week for vacation and a few sick days. But instead of divvying them up that way, it is up to the employees to take off the days they want, when they want.  This plan has many benefits. First, it allows employees to schedule days off without telling those little white lies. Second, employees are treated like adults. They make their own choices for what days they want off. Maybe Kwanza or Yom Kippur are more important to them than the 4th of July,” explained Steve Strauss in the NFIB article, Creating a Vacation and Leave Policy for Your Small Business.     

Even if you or your employees haven’t planned a summer vacation, it’s important to take some time to enjoy the warm, sunny weather.  Summer is an excellent time to plan a company picnic, spend a day at a theme park, or attend a baseball game. “Besides being fun, office parties serve as morale boosters, says Sharon Opfermann, Board Member, Utah Society for Human Resource Management Council in the Salt Lake Tribune article, Summer is a Perfect Time to Escape the Office for a Morale Boost.

Remember, planning ahead and allowing time for relaxation can do wonders for keeping you and your employees happy and healthy.  “Easy” summertime living can help everyone recharge in preparation for a productive and exciting fall.