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

Googlewhacker

Deleted_User wrote: »

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.

I understand where you are coming from but not to have found someone suitable in 8 months is shocking (especially in this current climate) and maybe this is where efforts should be concentrated on.

Like anything that is new or a new business effort is required that goes above and beyond the minimum required to do the job. You are senior management and I would have thought you are being paid handsomely for this and as such flexibility is required even on holiday.

However maybe you should come to an arrangement where you are only contactable by your employers for certain times during the week. Ie 1 hour from 9-10am on a tuesday and thursday? (and then claim this time back at a later date.)

rrf494g

this has been going on for three years?

With above history it seems that the dept has not learnt to do without you for a couple of weeks. I would make this a priority, and if your boss doesn't want this to be a priority then you do have a problem. Otherwise it's up to you. Beware of unconsciously being complemented by this attention on holiday, it can be challenging to work to a position where you are not essential.
regards

Pete111

The most important point here is that you are a senior manager and this comes with responsibilities. I'm a bit surprised you are even considering asking for time in leiu -this may indicate to some that you are not fully commited to your role and in a time of recession and redundancy, I would strongly advise against.

When I go on holiday (I am in a similar position to yourself level-wise) I check my emails each day and respond to queries. My freinds at managerial level also do this so from my experience what you are describing is (for better or for worse) the norm nowadays. Lets be honest, 1 hour a day on holiday is not the end of the world - It's also a good way of ensuring you don't come back to a sh*tstorm of work and urgent queries....I personally prefer it!

Googlewhacker is correct also however - you need to get someone trained up if poss to minimise this as far as possible and provide you with peace of mind while away.

P
PS JayII most contracts have a clause which require employees to work above and beyond their contracted hours as required. I am also almost entirely sure an employment lawyer would laugh any claim based on this situation out of their office...

DVardysShadow

It is the price of making yourself indispensible.

I would expect them to provide a mobile for this which I could switch off. And before my next holiday I would have someone trained up enough to hold the fort for 24 hours and let them call on Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon. And that would be it. And the next holiday, they would be on their own.

HappyMJ

Who pays for these call charges. If you're out of the UK it costs money to receive calls on a mobile. Do they reimburse this? Leave the phone in the UK and just check your emails. Hang on why are you even taking a laptop. Leave that as well. If they want to give you a phone/computer with worldwide access then let them pay the bill and the excess baggage charges. Claim the hours back and take an extra days holiday. I wouldn't even bother claiming I'd send an email. "Due to the addtional work performed during the last 2 weeks I will not be in until Wednesday. Any complaints then see my wife." I'd let the division fall apart. It's only 2 weeks. It'll recover. You'll fix it on your return. What if you were to oh let me see...die/go into hospital?

[Deleted User]

Thanks for your feedback and thoughts. It's an interesting one isn't it: what is reasonable?

What I would say is that I'm a manager, so I get that this comes with responsibilities, but I'm also an employee, so that comes with more rights. And to be honest, I'm more of an employee than a manager - my division is very small and all work channels through me.

I really don't want to sound like I'm blowing my own trumpet, but the issue is that I am an authority in the field in which I work, which is why my company hired me. They wanted to build a team around me in the field in which I work, using my knowledge and experience to deliver really good work for clients, but the problem is that my expertise is the product of years of experience that you can't just train someone up in. We've been recruiting since January, but really it has been fruitless. Many many applicants, but no-one that ticks all the boxes or comes even close.

In practice I would suggest that I'm lower down the food chain than you think in terms of the company though, which is where the problem lies. My division is small and so because all works goes through me, I'm often the only one that can do the work; those below me can't do it on their own.

I get that I may be contacted out of office hours, but 5 days out of 9 while on holiday?

And finally...I should add that actually I don't have a huge problem with it MYSELF, but it's more my other half who is concerned. I do think it's having an effect on our relationship as every time we go on holiday, I get contacted and asked to work. She's asked me whether I'll be working on our honeymoon...

bendix

A good manager makes themselves redundant by training and developing the staff under them to do the job without your input.

If your company feels they need your input all the time and don't trust your team, then the fault lies equally with them and - frankly - you.

[Deleted User]

bendix wrote: »

A good manager makes themselves redundant by training and developing the staff under them to do the job without your input.

If your company feels they need your input all the time and don't trust your team, then the fault lies equally with them and - frankly - you.

I knew someone would say that - but really there is no blame to be had. We've been trying to recruit, but the quality of applicants we're received has been pretty shocking at worst...not quite good enough at best.

My experience has been gained through several years of hard work and exposure in my industry - the team underneath me are all geared towards supporting me and I can't just train them up as it has taken my many years to get to my situation; they can't be trained in 6 months.

FOURCANDLES_2

Well you just tell them the way it is , you are on holiday and will not be available unless it has been written in to your contract?. Then if they take offence BILL them for the hours spent on work while on holiday or ask them to deduct time not used for holiday ie 1 hr a day they owe you 5 hours from holiday taken. However if you think it may result in you on the dole keep you mouth shut if you are on a good salary or happy in your job and claim it back some other way suitable to you.

getmore4less

You need to plan better before you go,

Make sure everything is bang up to date and any thing that looks like it must be done while away gets done/preapproved before you go.

Identify all the projects/that can wait till you get back and note them as such so no contact required.

Identify all the stuff that can be approved by others, there must be some by now or the training is failing.

That will reduce the amount of contact required.

Problem is this comes with the terratory so you will not be able to eliminate it completely untill someone else is given the autority to approve everything.


Are these realy that critical to the business that they cannot wait for a week or two.

The other thing to so is analize the year an take holidays at the quet times usualy when the customers have quet periods, for a lot of busineses this will be Xmas and part of the summer, if you deal with the far east then it is other times like china new year or the moon festivals..