OV9

Go fuck yourself. I’m not replying. See you in September.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/17/one-com ... ation.html

"German automaker Daimler has implemented a "Mail on Holiday" email policy that ensures its employees are taking full advantage of their time off, without fearing an overflowing inbox when they return. Through this policy, employees have the option to set their emails to autodelete while away from the office."

I always thought that was brilliant.

Yeh... It's frowned upon in US law firms to even put your out of office on if you're in the midst of a deal being headed out of the US and you happen to have holiday booked.

I just skim read stuff every couple of hours to keep on top of it and ignored it unless it was directly addressed to me - at which point I either responded with a one liner if it was a quick query or forwarded to someone else on the team to deal. As we've moved away from blackberries to just BB work on your iPhone it makes it progressively harder to escape.

Others just work on their holidays as if they were in the office if they're busy - that can FRO however.

Horses for courses. I've got no issue with keeping on top of work emails when on leave - better that than coming back to a shitstorm. YMMV.

NotoriousREV wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:04 am Go fuck yourself. I’m not replying. See you in September.

Is this the wording included in your OOO?

JLv3.0 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:10 am Horses for courses. I've got no issue with keeping on top of work emails when on leave - better that than coming back to a shitstorm. YMMV.

My OOO reply lists my 8 direct reports, their area of responsibility, and how to contact them. There is literally nothing that has to wait until I get back, they just need to speak to one of my team.

But they like you the most, and frankly who can blame them

Seriously? Learn to have a holiday! My OOO says who is covering what and includes a "for anything else speak to my boss".

My work phone/laptop will be on my desk I will be in a different country. No interest in work when I'm away.

Again mate there's no one-size-fits-all approach here. I liked my job to the extent that a holiday wasn't an escape from it otherwise I would die, and I like staying in touch. Different strokes

At my old company, I was never off my phone - managing development pools in Canada and Sydney meant e-mails flowed in 24 hours a day and we never got coverage on annual leave so, like JL, I would keep up with mails, stave off a few firestorms here and there and not come back to a nightmare. Hated it though

Current place is very very different - proper structures, handover of all responsibilities to other team member, genuine and real encouragement to completely forget work for the holiday etc.

JLv3.0 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:07 am https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/17/one-com ... ation.html

"German automaker Daimler has implemented a "Mail on Holiday" email policy that ensures its employees are taking full advantage of their time off, without fearing an overflowing inbox when they return. Through this policy, employees have the option to set their emails to autodelete while away from the office."

I always thought that was brilliant.

That was my Uncle's OOO policy when on leave. He just wrote, simplified, 'I'm on holiday, your email will be deleted. If it's really important, re-send it after x date' (where x=date of his return).

I admired him a lot for that.

I'm really good at switching off from work crap when on leave. If something comes up that's _so_ important whilst I'm out then find someone else to deal with it. If you can't be bothered to do that then it's obviously not so important.

I usually bring my phone and check it once a day for the first few days or so. If people are stepping in and doing the cover as per arranged then I tend to check it less/not at all for the rest of the time.

DeskJockey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:39 am Seriously? Learn to have a holiday! My OOO says who is covering what and includes a "for anything else speak to my boss".

My work phone/laptop will be on my desk I will be in a different country. No interest in work when I'm away.

Like JL says, if I don't keep on top of things I just end up with a massive headache when I come back. The odd 5 mins here and there just to resolve things or shift stuff around is worth it not to have a nightmare to endure when I'm back.

HfC, etc.

I'd suggest that you've got a structural problem then.

Not unique at all, have many colleagues that either don't take leave or do work when they're meant to be away. My view is that by doing that you're not forcing the business to fix the issue, but, as you say hfc.

dinny_g wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:59 am keep up with mails, stave off a few firestorms here and there and not come back to a nightmare..

This is generally my approach.

I’m quite good at switching off too. If I can sort it whilst on holiday - great. If not - fuck it, I’m on holiday.

I can tell you that without Broccers even seeing this thread, he's deeply unimpressed

That goes without saying really.

DeskJockey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 1:33 pm I'd suggest that you've got a structural problem then.

House of cards. And I'm in the middle, on the bottom row.

I can't be the only one who doesn't trust others to do their job right? As that's the real reason I can never have a proper holiday.

Matty wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 2:13 pm

DeskJockey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 23, 2018 1:33 pm I'd suggest that you've got a structural problem then.

House of cards. And I'm in the middle, on the bottom row.

I can't be the only one who doesn't trust others to do their job right? As that's the real reason I can never have a proper holiday.

I have a few people I trust to get it done right (whether I'm there or not), but I've made the conscious decision that if things go wrong when I'm on leave it is the company's issue not mine. Might be that I have to pick up the pieces, but so be it. Helps that I'm not in any kind of operational role.

Edit: I do a detailed handover and put on hold what I can to manage the risk of things going wrong

I like to test peoples initiative, my OOO simply reads I am on leave returning xx/xx/xx

Underneath this is the company logo with the office phone number and general email address. If its important and they can't work that out, then fuck 'em, I am not taking any shit for their incompetence when I get back.