Even the best-laid plans can go horribly awry in a matter of minutes. Yet, there are few things more frustrating than getting a frantic call from the office while on vacation. Unfortunately, many professionals on holiday have had their time off sullied by a totally unforeseeable workplace emergency. Obviously, the last thing any professional wants to do on vacation is open up their laptop and get to work. Here, we’ll look at six effective ways that professionals can handle a work emergency while traveling.
Plan Ahead
True, it can be difficult –– if not impossible –– to predict a problem arising while you’re away. Nevertheless, cautious professionals can help others prepare for potential emergencies by explaining how to handle them in advance. This won’t solve every potential crisis, but it will snuff out a good deal of them.
Work in Transit
For many, the worst part of traveling is the actual travel. Airports, planes, train stations, and bus stops are hardly the most stimulating places. On the plus side, though, they do provide capable professionals a place to hammer out a few important emails. If you absolutely can’t avoid work, try doing it while you’re in the air or in transit. This way, you won’t be missing out on anything on your itinerary.
Call –– Don’t Email
If someone is trying to contact you on vacation to deal with an emergency, don’t respond to them with an email. Email communication is plenty effective, but when you’re dealing with a time crunch, then it’s a wise idea to get on the phone. This way, you can determine how serious a problem is and what you need to do to fix it.
Delegate
Occasionally, managers and business leaders have to face an assignment that only they can complete effectively. On the other hand, there are plenty of times when delegating responsibility is a viable option. Though it can be difficult to give up control of a project, it’s a wise play to let others in your organization handle pressing issues from time to time. It’s the only way they’ll develop as professionals anyway!
Log Your Time
Mishaps, snafus, and accidents happen –– regardless of whether you’re on vacation or in the office. Still, if you’re being asked to work while on vacation, then log your time and speak to your boss about it after you return. Vacations are meant to help you get away from the daily grind, and you should be able to seek compensation for any time that you spent dealing with work issues on vacation.
Just Say No
No one should be forced to work while on vacation against their will. What’s more, busman’s holidays are bad for your health and your mood. So even if you receive a phone call from your boss or an email from a client labeled “URGENT,” you shouldn’t feel bad about telling them that you’re on vacation, and that you’ll handle their problem when you come back. (Just do so politely!) Any employer who doesn’t respect your time off is seriously off-base.
The Bottom Line
Whether you work in a lab that develops cell culture inserts or at an investment firm, it’s imperative to get away from the office from time to time to recharge your batteries. Though it can be difficult to manage your free time along with your daily responsibilities, all hard-working employees deserve time off. Don’t defer a dream vacation because you’re busy at work. Instead, seize the initiative and have the experience of a lifetime! You’ll regret it if you don’t.
