Regularly contacted by employer on holiday...best course of action to take?

[Deleted User]

I've just got back from a fortnight's holiday which was quite relaxing, but I wonder if others could offer advice on a bit of a recurring problem I'm experiencing with my employer.

I'm a senior manager within the company in which I work - I'm in charge of a division of the business which is relatively new, but for which I have certain experience and expertise. The problem is that my team are still relatively new and although we're training them thoroughly, they're still not up to speed and all work has to go through me before being sent to clients.

The issue is that because of this, the company can't cope when I go on holiday and every time I take a break, I get contacted by my colleagues and superiors. Sometimes the enquiries are trivial, but most of the time it's a legitimate query about something they can't do on their own.

In my most recent holiday (9 days) I was contacted on 5 days and asked to check my emails, log in and review documents, by my boss. On any given day it wasn't more than an hour's worth of work, but the point is I can't really relax while I'm worrying about whether the office is going into meltdown without me.

My other half is understandly really angry with me as I haven't taken a single break in the past three years in which I haven't been contacted about something work-related. I understand that to some extent it goes with the territory, but I'm wondering what to do about it.

I was hoping to speak to my employer to ask whether I might be given some of my holiday entitlement back in lieu, given that I have been contacted and have worked during my holiday, but that's not really going to address the problem.

Over time I'm sure things will get better as my staff are more trained and gain experience, but for now I'm feeling like a bit of a scapegoat for the company who feel that they can contact me on holiday in disregard of the fact I'm not on work duty.

What would you do?

*Dusty*

How about switching off your phone? I find that works wonders when I don't want people from work to call me

jayII

*Dusty* wrote: »

How about switching off your phone? I find that works wonders when I don't want people from work to call me

Yep, same here. Any issues and I just tell people that I'll be in a remote area with poor/no mobile coverage.

[Deleted User]

I can't. It's my personal phone which a) I may want friends and family to reach me on, but b) I have been told quite specifically by work that I need to be available in case of 'work emergency' and that I should take my phone with me...

In fact, it's insisted on. The problem is that it's insisted on from a 'we'll only contact you in an emergency' tone which ends up as a 'this is an emergency....' contact...

jayII

You can never go on holiday to any of the places in the UK, and the rest of the world, where there is no mobile coverage?

I'd be checking my contract, as well as the legalities of this 'condition'.

Googlewhacker

Have you not got a second in command? Surely your efforts should be in concentrated on getting someone else trained up to be able to cope with the questions that are coming.

If no one is trained and you are in charge then you should expect phonecalls as annoying as it is.

Oldernotwiser

Get a cheap PAYG phone and don't give the number to work.

[Deleted User]

jayII wrote: »

You can never go on holiday to any of the places in the UK, and the rest of the world, where there is no mobile coverage?

I'd be checking my contract, as well as the legalities of this 'condition'.

That's what I'd like advice on - what would you do?

I'm aware that I'm partly to blame here, but it's a real problem. My employer has politely requested I am available for contact. I could tell them 'no', but diplomatically it would bite me on the backside - they wouldn't be very happy and I know that without me, my division of the business would fall apart. Not because I haven't trained people up, but because it takes time to do so and others working in my division don't do what I do.

[Deleted User]

Googlewhacker wrote: »

Have you not got a second in command? Surely your efforts should be in concentrated on getting someone else trained up to be able to cope with the questions that are coming.

If no one is trained and you are in charge then you should expect phonecalls as annoying as it is.

No second is command - but the problem is that my field of expertise is quite specific and so although we are recruiting for a 2nd in command (and have been since January), we haven't found anyone suitable. We're training up others to help out and cover my role, but it's slow progress.

shortchanged_2

Next time your bosses and collegues are on holiday phone them every day and give them work to do and see how they feel. :beer:

jayII

How about negotiating a time that you will call work each day, in exchange for more holiday/increased pay/or flexible time off?

What would I do, in reality I would either find a way to live with it, (and include a discussion with my partner, to work out what is 'reasonable' for us), or I would change jobs.

I would not jeopardise my relationship over work commitments.