Top 3 reasons your work laptop should not go on holiday with you
By: Fatmir, redwigwam
Most of us hard, dedicated workers usually think the same way in terms of taking time off: “I need a holiday but I’m so important I can’t stay away from work,” or “work might need me while I’m away, and it would be embarrassing if I’m not there to save the day.”
96% of Brits recognise the value of taking annual leave, but unbelievably, over 40% don’t use them. This represents a loss of 169 million PTO days annually.
Your heart might be in the right place, but if you don’t truly “get away,” you’re setting a dangerous precedent in terms of your own health and your own dependencies.
While there may be many reasons to rethink the whole concept of holiday, here are 3 reasons why the laptop should stay at home and NOT hop on board your next holiday:
Little distractions lead to hours of work
It’s so easy to check your work email, and on the surface, it takes so little time.
Easier to ‘keep on top of it’ while you’re away – right?
No!
If even one email impacts your client responsibilities, or your list of deliverables, and something goes wrong, it suddenly transforms into full-blown work and impacts hours of your leisure time.
Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price recommends a very simple solution to this: “If you’re going to take time off, take it off completely.” Put someone you trust in charge of your work back at the office. Make sure you don’t come back to a work disaster.
Don’t check in; discipline yourself to ignore the warning signs that drag you back into the work environment.
You earned the off time. Use it wisely.
Your health comes first
Workers are quitting everywhere because they are literally burned out. They work 50, 60, even 70-hour work weeks with no breaks. From a physical standpoint, your body can’t handle this schedule for very long.
Even if it’s not a full-blown burnout, over time you may become resentful, even though you are really doing it to yourself. Your attitude gets worse, and your productivity goes downhill.
Workers can only handle so much consistent work time without a break. Recent reports indicate that in an 8-hour day, workers are productive for about 3 hours. After that, productivity drops dramatically.
This can cause serious health repercussions, from obesity to high blood pressure. If you have holiday time in your bank, use it for leisure activities.
You’ll return to the office feeling refreshed, with new ideas and a new dedication.
Your family deserves your time
They’ve been begging for your time all year. Hopefully you remember them, your family.
Family holidays not only allow workers to re-charge themselves, but also to recharge relationships.
Whether it’s a spouse and kids or other family connections, time flies and your connection with these loved ones should always be a higher priority than work.
Use your holiday time so you can create memorable experiences with those who sacrifice all year because you bring your work home, or you work late in the office.
A company culture where managers encourage their employees to use holiday time is valuable. Remember to shut down, put on your out of office email notification, and look forward to a great time doing anything but work.
Spending your time on the beach talking to co-workers is not a holiday!
Re-charge, reunite and remember to enjoy the value of relaxation.
