Leavism is on the rise and what you can do to make sure your employees switch off.

According to an article In People Management 59% of UK employees stated they worked whilst on holiday, with 20% actually taking their laptops with them.

This isn’t a new phenomenon, I have been guilty of it myself.  When I first moved into a role in HR it was as an internal recruiter.  I had been working as a recruitment consultant and landed that unicorn of roles in a HR department.  I absolutely loved that job and along with wanting to do a good job, I also wanted to make myself indispensable and on some believed that this meant being available all the time.  This was in the days when the blackberry (who remembers them), was the device to have.   As a result, I checked and answered emails all the time, on holiday, after hours and whenever really.  Until I went on holiday to Cuba, where there was no internet and no emails.  This taught me 2 things,

              1 – how even just checking emails impacts your ability to switch off.

              2 – if you’re not around people find out the answer and sort the problem.

This was a valuable lesson and of course I now know there is no such thing as being indispensable. This also isn’t a culture businesses should encourage.  We’ve probably all been there at some point in our careers and when you own a business of course it is difficult to completely switch off but there’s a difference between business owner and employee.

Single point of failure

Having since been in senior management roles, I understand that no business should have a single point of failure.  This is no good for either the business or the individual.  In the event that something happens to the employee the business could find that crucial knowledge is missing.  It is also important that employees can go on holiday without, worrying that they will need to be contactable and that they will come back to a mountain of work, causing added stress. 

Good managers

Good managers, share knowledge with their teams and give them the experience and skills so that they in effect make themselves redundant.  A strong manager should surround themselves with good people who are capable and able to step up when they aren’t around.  A strong team, with good communication skills, shared skills and knowledge, will be a more productive one. A manager who shares information and delegates to encourage learning and is confident enough in their own ability, will have a thriving team who can carry on as if the manager is there, when they aren’t.

Job insecurity

My constant need to always be checking and responding to emails was driven from a place of insecurity at the time and the current climate is a difficult one.  The recruitment market is employer driven and tough for employees with a lot of competition. Businesses are under increasing cost pressure, meaning that roles are not always replaced.  This adds pressure on existing employees to take on more responsibilities. 

Technology

Employees may feel they need to constantly be connected and there maybe a culture of this expectation from senior leadership.  In addition, many employees have emails on their phones meaning they can always check and reply.  Many businesses communicate via Teams, WhatsApp and Slack, meaning notifications will be pinging and we are conditioned to check those pings, regardless of whether we are on holiday or not.  Once we see and read, we will be thinking about what is happening and so are brains will continue to be in work mode and in addition we will be distracted at a time when we should be present for our families, partners, friends and ourselves.

Final thoughts

However, being able to switch off is key doing a good job.  Annual leave is there for a reason and a good company culture, means encouraging employees to ignore emails and not be contactable.  Managers must set a good example and normalise unplugging. After all the world won’t and shouldn’t fall apart if we are not around for a week or two.  Make sure you encourage your teams to turn notifications off, try not to email people on annual leave and ensure teams have alternative managers they can contact.  Have meetings to handover work and bring employees back up to speed before and after holidays.  These good management practices are easy to implement and ensure your teams are rested and raring to go after a good break.