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You don't need to leave your phone turned off, you just need to not answer it unless it's a personal call.
The deal I worked out with a prior boss was that they could text me and ask if I could check my work email. They knew it would be at my convenience and I might not ever see that text or be able to access my email, but I would if I could. The work I do isn't typically time critical in the sense of something having to be done immediately, but there are times where it could be problematic to have to wait a week or even longer. So to me, this was a reasonable compromise that we could both comfortably live with. They respected my willingness to help if they really needed me, and in return, they respected the fact that I was off work, and only reached out when they really needed an answer to something that only I knew.
...My question is, how can I make sure this doesn't happen again? Is there some tactful way I can bring this up when I put in for the time off? There's only so much co-worker training I can provide before their heads explode, so it's not like I can do any more of that than before. Others have said to leave my phone off while I'm gone, but I'll undoubtedly need it for non-work reasons.
Has anybody else dealt with this type of situation? How did you handle it?
[disclaimer: I have not read the thread yet.]
I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. It's the nature of my job being highly specialized, time sensitive, and complex, (satellite instrument operations). You have to start the planning much in advance. Specifically, once the ground work has been done, which I will explain below, I start asking for the time off a few months in advance. Then, remind them often. That usually works. I also tell them that I will not have e-mail or cell phone coverage, (even if I do). That stops the 'emergency' calls.
Now, since what you do is similar to me, in that it is not easy to get coverage, you have to start training replacements now. It will take time and effort, but well worth doing. One way to get support is to ask what would happen if you got run over by a bus. Who would fill in and take care of your responsibilities? There should be at least one trained backup for every task you are responsible for. And, they need to demonstrate their competency often enough that they could indeed fill in for you in case of emergency. (If they come back to you and say that you don't need backup for such and such . . . then is it really that important and worth doing at all?)
I have printed documentation for all of my main tasks. They even come in handy for me myself on the complex tasks that I only have to do once a month or so. The daily tasks are pretty much automatic because of the repetition factor. I still have documentation for others to use.
So, train your backups now, make sure they maintain proficiency, and then ask early and often for specific dates off.
I started asking in mid September for the Christmas and New Years weeks off. Just today, got confirmation that my last backup can cover for me. So, it took me almost two months to arrange personnel to cover my duties. Not an enjoyable part of the job. I almost have to beg to get the time off. I will be retiring in August, and they want me to train my replacement for a six month period. Wow! I didn't know what I did was THAT important and complex. Maybe I should ask for more compensation?
I know full well that I've been allowing them to use me as a doormat, and it's been frustrating. One of the reasons I let it go on was, management would always designate someone to cover my work who was totally incompetent. And she knew it, and would resist trying to learn anything. So, I could take time off, but my work would get screwed up and I'd work overtime when I got back doing damage control. Next time around? They'd insist the same person cover. I just got tired of it.
That person is gone now, and the two managers I've reported to are both part-time now, so this time should be better. I'm going to follow some of the advice in this thread and make this one a real vacation.
Sometimes when I get frustrated over the stupid things I'm made to do last minute (which take longer) or an unnecessary procedure is put in place, I just quietly chant "it's more money in my pocket" over and over. And keep looking for another job.
I don't have a company-owned phone, all the calls/texts came on my regular phone. It's possible I won't have phone access this time, but the details of my trip are still undefined. I will give some serious thought to keeping it off the whole time, but I'd worry that family members might need to get in touch for some reason.
I will definitely be making suggestions as to how the work can get done without me, the problem is that upper management is delusional as to how easy that will be. There are things that could easily be done, but the boss is a disagreeable person by nature and will make a stink no matter how reasonable the suggestions are. Also, everyone has a full workload so taking time off to be trained in my duties would be cumbersome no matter who it was.
That's really the biggest problem at this company. Upper management expects things to be done in unreasonable ways, when in reality the reasonable alternatives wouldn't change the outcome at all.
I don't mean this to come off rude, but no one is that important. We all like to think that the company will go under without us and yes, it may be temporarily unpleasant, but you and I will all be replaced and the business will move on. If you work on machine somebody else knows how to do it too.
You have received great advice from several people all of which are extremely practical and answer your every argument. Unless you are looking just to vent your frustration without actually acting on anything, I'd say your problem is solved.
I don't mean this to come off rude, but no one is that important. We all like to think that the company will go under without us and yes, it may be temporarily unpleasant, but you and I will all be replaced and the business will move on. If you work on machine somebody else knows how to do it too.
You have received great advice from several people all of which are extremely practical and answer your every argument. Unless you are looking just to vent your frustration without actually acting on anything, I'd say your problem is solved.
I don't see your comment as rude at all. My mindset is based on years of unpleasant experiences and poor management being drilled into me, and that's a hard thing to shake off.
I will say one thing in response to your statement that I highlighted. In my case, it is not true at all. I am the only person in my company who knows the machines I use. When we bought the machines, I had to figure it all out on my own. Even the guys who sold us the machine were useless in helping me. I did it solo.
But yes, this was partly about venting frustration, however it proved helpful and I will definitely be taking a vacation soon and not letting work ruin it for me. Thanks again for all the suggestions.
I know full well that I've been allowing them to use me as a doormat, and it's been frustrating. One of the reasons I let it go on was, management would always designate someone to cover my work who was totally incompetent. And she knew it, and would resist trying to learn anything. So, I could take time off, but my work would get screwed up and I'd work overtime when I got back doing damage control. Next time around? They'd insist the same person cover. I just got tired of it.
That person is gone now, and the two managers I've reported to are both part-time now, so this time should be better. I'm going to follow some of the advice in this thread and make this one a real vacation.
My brother did this, was there an hour and a half early to get everything done in the day, covered for the mistakes of incompetent management and co-workers, sacrificed his time off, played by the rules and sang the company song. You know what? He was the first person laid off when they began reducing stafff, some of the incompetents are still there. The moral of the story is, no matter how passionate you are about your job, your employer may not appreciate your efforts, always do what's best for you.
You need to talk to your immediate supervisor immediately.
Tell him or her what you have written here, and just ask him very simply what would happen if you were seriously injured (which is always a possibility for anyone) and had to be in the hospital for a month or longer? And then tell him or her that you would like to take at least two weeks off, and get his/her suggestions as to what can be done so that if you leave, it does not present a crisis. As always in such matters, put in in such a way that they know you are concerned for the company.
And if all else fails, look for another job. No one should have to deal with that much stress without having any kind of real break from it!
My brother did this, was there an hour and a half early to get everything done in the day, covered for the mistakes of incompetent management and co-workers, sacrificed his time off, played by the rules and sang the company song. You know what? He was the first person laid off when they began reducing stafff, some of the incompetents are still there. The moral of the story is, no matter how passionate you are about your job, your employer may not appreciate your efforts, always do what's best for you.
I knew a software developer like this. The other developers would write the code, and this guy would end up fixing it for them instead of turning it back to them to fix their own mistakes and learn from them. He made the other developers look good and after realizing he wasn't being given credit or anything for his work, he left the company. The only one that really cared were the developers that knew how talented he really was, but management didn't do a thing to counter his offer to keep him.
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