With summer nearly over, you’ve probably taken your annual family sabbatical to the Florida Keys. But while you were on the beach or mixing up cocktails, did you fall into the trap of checking work email?
More than 61 percent of American workers admit to doing so, and it’s turning us into burnouts. So before Labor Day, remember these reasons why you must unplug:
It’s bad enough that most only take half their vacation days. But when you fire off a few emails or check up on a sales prospect, you may as well be at the office. So instead of coming back refreshed and ready to take on new projects, you’ll feel overwhelmed, cranky, and nowhere near maximum productivity.
Give your team a break. They deserve it. But more importantly, they learn from you. If you send an email during Sunday’s NASCAR race, they’ll feel compelled to plug in during the weekends. Or do the same while they’re with their families on vacation. They don’t want to be seen as slackers when you work your tail off 24/7. But when you unplug, they will, too, and that’s best for everyone.
Time off leads to huge productivity gains. Those who take real time off reap the rewards at work. A study found that employees who didn’t work during vacation reported an 82% increase in job performance.
We know it’s easy to fall into the trap of working 24/7 and just checking your inbox one last time. But do us a favor. Unplug, and end the vicious cycle. Work can wait for a few days.
Source: Salesforce
The stats don’t lie. Most U.S. workers only take half of their vacation time off. Worse, 61 percent admit to working while off the clock. This vicious cycle leads to sluggish productivity, crankiness, health problems and lower sales.