Work worries

If you have tasks to delegate to colleagues, it may be useful to set aside time for a handover meeting with all relevant contact details and information. It’s a sad fact of working life that some co-workers find it easier to disrupt your breakfast on the hotel patio than to read the information you sent them that would answer their questions. So, while it’s good to send your team all the intricate detail they might need, some team leaders find it useful to create a document for colleagues titled, “Read this before contacting me”, similar to the FAQs. Try setting aside that day to have final briefings with to-do lists for all concerned. In effect, you’re saying, “Are there any questions?” before you leave. That’s also the day to set up your Out of Office notice on Outlook, along with the names and numbers of who to contact.

Many of us work while on holiday because we dread returning to a pile of work, or to tasks that need redoing because of half-hearted, distracted or overworked colleagues. Scheduling some time on your return to get an update on what happened while you were away will help you to get up to speed quickly. It may also encourage colleagues to whom you’ve delegated work, to in fact do the work rather than explain why they haven’t.

Some businesspeople find it useful to have two mobile devices when on holiday. The idea is to use one for business, which is only switched on for a few minutes each day, while the other is used for holiday-related activities like GPSing, playing music or hailing rides.

Simply leaving your work device switched off or for the truly brave – at home – can feel truly liberating.

At the core of the issue, says Petrie, is the need to make the most of your time off.

If you’re subconsciously at work even when you’re on holiday, chances are that you’ll feel cheated afterwards. Far better to disconnect completely, dive into the sea or into a big book, and leave the work to those at work.