I do not answer work emails on vacation. Why? I can't. And I set it up to be that way. I give my boss my cell phone number in case there's something that absolutely positively needs to come my way, but she has never called me. Vacation is sacred!

The Blog: Red Nose The Book: Girl Clown

I went on a vacation last August where I was completely cut off and it was heaven. My June vacation where I was wired two hours a day? Torture.

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

 Earlier this year I took a four day weekend and didn't answer email. My clients evidently didn't remember that I said I would be offline and they were none to happy about my absence.

Lesson learned: prepare folks well in advance that you really are taking an email break and then remember to put that away message on the email. Mea culpa

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

I think it's necessary to take a mental break from email, etc. during a vacation. Otherwise, I feel like I am still at work. It's hard not to look at your email and try and take care of some of the easier issues, but I always end up getting sucked into some semi-crisis drama and it ends up consuming my time away. I vow this year to leave it alone. :)

suzi

...not check my e-mail while away from the office. I could give clients a month's notice and something would come up that would need my attention ASAP while I'm out. Even while at BlogHer last month, I still had to check in on a couple of items. 

From my perspective, it comes down to office culture. If everyone is doing work through vacations, if you don't, you feel like a slacker for truly taking time off. 

Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com

That is the first rule of vacation.

I had to do this in my last job - not because my bosses ordered me to. More bosses should though. People need down time. I'm paid to work for a company - not live for them.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

I find that if I give everyone advance warning that I'm going on vacation, they bombard me 3 days before I leave making the last few days before I go insane! I've learned it's better to sneak away. I do put the "I'm on vacation" notice on my email account, but I still check it anyway. It's less stressful for me when I get back to not have the deluge all at once.

I had the will power to not check emails (or even vmails) while on vacation.  Not an easy rule of thumb to follow.  Unfortunately, when you work in the industry I do, everyday matters.  As well, I have a problem letting go.  I know things will either get done or will be there waiting for me when I return.  Despite knowing this I still feel better just checking emails and responding or forwarding only those that are urgent.  I think first order of business for me is to lose the "control-freak" mentality. Yeah, I know...it's a problem.

Oh my, if my boss told me that I'd probably hug him. I refuse to check email/vm on vacation anyways, much I refuse to come in on my days off. I'll work overtime, just not on my days off. That time is mine, not my employer's.

I don't live here, it's just a timeshare

Emails are a no-no during vacation.  If there is an emergency that needs my immediate attention my boss has my cellphone number.  But, he has never had to call me. 

 When I was working for other people, I wouldn't think twice about calling in to check voice mail or contemplate bringing a laptop on vacation to check email. Now that I work for myself, I am never far from connectivity.

I left a cocktail party for a few minutes last night to run home and check email.

weird.

-steph

A Year of CrockPotting