Break Into Tech’s Post

DO NOT touch your work devices on weekends or during PTO. If you look at a work device, you'll see an email or a message, and it's going to be quick and easy to respond. But the person who sent it *is* currently working, so they're going to reply right back, and suddenly you're working on your day off. It's never just one quick thing! Last time I took a day off, I got messages from a few people who didn't think I'd reply until I came back. But when I had a minute, I replied anyway, and that turned into conversations and requests. No one expected me to get right back to them, but when there's a quick thing that someone needs, it helps my anxiety to just get it done instead of scheduling it for the next day. No one was expecting me to work, but I found myself working! How do we fix this? 1. Try not to message people when you know they're off. If they see it, they might feel obligated to respond (or guilty if they don't). 2. When you're off, don't work! PERIOD! Not even a peek! #timeoff #pto

"People are finally giving companies exactly what they give [workers] — nothing." Poor retirement benefits, mass layoffs, and the rollback of remote working policies are provoking even self-proclaimed "over-achievers" to down tools. More and more employees seem to be secretly slipping away from their desks this summer, letting mouse jigglers keep their Teams status green. We spoke to one who fielded messages from their phone while visiting museums in Italy — if and when the messages ever came. They told Business Insider's Charissa Cheong that they get rave reviews in appraisals, so it shouldn't matter when or where they get their work done. What do you think? Are "quiet vacations," as long as the work is getting done, a reasonable extension of flexible working? Or are they further eroding the crumbling trust between employer and employee? Corporations and employees are playing tug-of-war with workers' time and effort in the post-pandemic workforce. It's still unclear which side will win.

Flexible Time Off policies are designed to empower employees, offering them the autonomy to manage their time while balancing work responsibilities. However, there’s a delicate balance between freedom and accountability that must be navigated carefully. In this instance, it's clear that you've prioritized the needs of the business, especially given the critical projects at hand and the extended time off the employee has already taken. But it’s also essential to consider the long-term impact on trust and morale. Studies show that when employees feel supported during major life events, like weddings, their loyalty and commitment to the company increases. A report from Gallup indicates that employees who feel cared for by their employers are 71% less likely to experience burnout, which directly contributes to higher productivity and retention. While holding employees accountable for ensuring smooth transitions in their absence—like training replacements—is necessary, the expectation needs to be set well in advance. A flexible time-off policy works best when clear communication and expectations are laid out from the start. It's great that your policy encourages personal responsibility, but flexibility should also include compassion. Trust is a two-way street, and showing understanding for employees' personal lives, especially during milestones, often strengthens that trust. Encouraging your team to take ownership while offering support in these moments can foster a culture where both work and personal well-being thrive."

🌟 I took over a week off recently to visit family in the Midwest. This is my son enjoying a day at the children’s museum where we played on trucks, train, motorcycle, bus…it was incredible! 🚂 ⚡ For the first time in a long time, I actually felt like I could unplug from work and be more present in the moment. I wasn’t stressed about checking emails or slack messages. I was more relaxed and came back to work feeling much more recharged.  It turns out that I’m not the only one that has had a problem unplugging on PTO. In this poll, https://lnkd.in/gzh78U5n: 🟠 78% of workers do NOT take the maximum amount of time off that they are allowed. 🟠 63% of workers said pressure to meet deadlines and stay productive keeps them from taking all their vacation days. 🟠 About half of workers said they get nervous even requesting to take time off, and about the same said it makes them feel guilty. ☀ As people are heading into summer vacations, it’s important to take the time off and PLAY! It’s good for your 🧠 and your 💛 Managers and leaders can model this by: 🟢 agreeing to a coverage plan ahead of time and communicating the plan with colleagues  🟢 reprioritizing work so that everyone is clear on what can actually wait until employee returns, because no one wants to think about deadlines on vacation 🟢 setting boundaries and norms for what taking time off means (e.g. turn off notifications, don’t send urgent email requests) 🟢 sharing photos/stories of how you spent your time off Special shout out to my colleagues who role model a positive PTO culture and covered while I was OOO - Sacha Connor, Lisa Harvey, Tory Fitzgerald, MBA 💡 What else have you done to create a positive PTO culture?? #unpluggedPTO #recharge #positivePTOculture #teamwork

I denied my employee’s request for 2 days off work. Sure, they're about to get married, but: - They’ve had 2.5 weeks off already. - They haven't trained a replacement. - We have 2 critical projects to complete. So I told them... - Find a replacement. - Train them on your daily to-dos. - With our unlimited time off policy, don't ask next time! It's called Flexible Time Off. (The opposite of micromanagement & outdated policies). - Your employees set their own hours. - They work where they want. - They take days off when they choose. The biggest benefit? A-players don't respect slackers. Anyone taking too much time off loses status. Flexible Time Off is a policy that creates trusting teams. What's your approach to unlimited time off? P.S. Repost this to inspire other companies. ♻️

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you’re going on vacation…leave that laptop at home! ❌💻 Close Slack. Cancel your meetings. Set an OOO email. And whatever you do, don’t “check in.” Research shows that 65% (!) of workers have difficulty leaving work tasks alone while on PTO—leading to burnout, anxiety, and stress. Being fully unplugged while on vacation is the key to REAL rest and relaxation. And if you’re traveling with your family and friends, give them the attention they deserve by leaving work…at work. So: if you’re packing for that summer getaway, ditch the laptop. Pack sunscreen instead. ☀️ (PRO TIP: If you manage a team, you have to lead by example—don't check-in while you are on PTO!) #workculture #peopleops #HR

"I'll catch up on work during the holidays," I told myself. Big mistake. 25% of employees work 3+ hours daily on vacation. That was me last year. Stressed, distracted, never fully present. This year's game plan: 1. Triage tasks: Complete, delay, delegate, or eliminate 2. Set up an airtight OOO system 3. Create a focused post-holiday to-do list Now I'm set to disconnect and recharge. Because even full stack developers need a break. 💻➡️🏖️ How are you planning to unplug this season? #WorkSmarter #HolidayProductivity

First Day Back After PTO: Let the Inbox Games Begin! 📨🏃♀️ After a week of PTO, today’s my first day back—and the inbox has welcomed me with open arms (and hundreds of unread emails). 😅 Coming back after some time off can feel like running a marathon you didn’t train for, but here’s the plan: 1️⃣ Prioritize what matters 2️⃣ Delegate what can wait 3️⃣ And most importantly… remember that it’s okay to ease back in! PTO is all about recharging so you can return refreshed, ready to tackle the work with new energy and focus. Here’s to a productive week ahead—and fewer surprise meetings! 🚀 How do you manage your first day back after time off? #BackToWork #PTORecharge #ProductivityHacks #WorkLifeBalance #InboxTaming

I often see LinkedIn posts about the bad habit of people being contacted from work while on annual leave. Responding to work while we are on vacation has more to do with our own anxiety that something will break in our absence rather than the probability of this actually happening. We cannot stop someone from calling us during our vacation, but we can take these actions to prevent it: - Add a notice to your email signature a week before your leave, stating "I will be on leave and unavailable next week" - Remind colleagues on every call you join during your last week that you'll be unavailable during your time off. - Schedule calls with anyone you have ongoing projects with and provide the latest updates. - Send a follow-up email summarizing your discussions and any actions others need to take in your absence. - If you're a manager or team leader, establish a decision-making matrix so everyone knows who's responsible for what while you're away. - Set up a detailed out-of-office reply specifying who can be contacted for various issues during your absence. - Finally, shut down your work devices and enjoy your time off. Even if something big and urgent happens, the people behind should be able to deal with it. In an ideal world, everyone would respect our time off. But until then, we can only plan ahead and minimize the chances of being disturbed by ensuring our colleagues have what they need before we log off.

I'm sure you all have heard of "quiet quitting", in which employees cease to work, or at least scale back their work, but don't formally resign their positions. Another new "trend" (?) seems to be "quiet vacations" (see https://lnkd.in/ewfzcHRg). As a manager, have you witnessed this first hand? If so, would you consider this a "fireable offence"? What reprimands would you impose if you found out that one of your direct reports took a "quiet vacation"? As for me, I try to build a great working relationship with my direct reports. I hold weekly one on ones with them to help build a trusting relationship, so I would hope that my directs would be comfortable enough to let me know what they are planning on doing. I'm all about being flexible, but if a "quiet vacation" happens and it affects the work being done, with or without me knowing about it, then I would have to do SOMETHING to let my direct know that this was unacceptable. I would definitely give feedback about it, and depending on the severity of the impact to the work, I may even consider termination. Is that too harsh? What do you think?