Work/life balance, where is that fine line and how would you define it?

[Angelface]

So let's say you work a salaried job or even hourly and work 50+ hours a week. Maybe even then you still get calls on your weekends/days off. On top of that you end up still being called for work related issues on your vacations and personal time off. Do you accept this as a nature of your job and go forward with it? Or do you set the boundaries of your personal time away?

For the most part I love my new job, but it's also a lot of responsibility and can be stressful enough to get burned out quickly. However my time away is dedicated to my children and family as well as myself to center myself and recharge for the next week. But lately I have been given a lot of calls and issues on the weekends. Sometimes during our meal times or church on Sunday. I've accepted this as part of the position I have and what goes along with it.

But this week I am actually on vacation. I didn't plan on doing an expensive trip and going somewhere exotic. Instead I took this week to help with my mother who is ill with cancer and to spend extra time with my kids after everything we have been through and take some time to find myself a little again. Last week I made it clear that I would be on personal time off and to please get a hold of the gal who is filling in for me if anything comes up. I really needed a break from all of that! But the last three days of my pto, I have been getting work calls all day. Even though it's supposed to be on the person who is filling in for me. It didn't bug me so much before, but getting a phone call at 10:00 pm while I'm holding my daughter to sleep just to say I want Saturday off for spring break, seems kinda rude considering that this person knows you are gone for personal time. Being caring, I always go along with it. But still time away should be time away? Don't you think?

 

[jimbo]

So let's say you work a salaried job or even hourly and work 50+ hours a week. Maybe even then you still get calls on your weekends/days off. On top of that you end up still being called for work related issues on your vacations and personal time off. Do you accept this as a nature of your job and go forward with it? Or do you set the boundaries of your personal time away?

For the most part I love my new job, but it's also a lot of responsibility and can be stressful enough to get burned out quickly. However my time away is dedicated to my children and family as well as myself to center myself and recharge for the next week. But lately I have been given a lot of calls and issues on the weekends. Sometimes during our meal times or church on Sunday. I've accepted this as part of the position I have and what goes along with it.

But this week I am actually on vacation. I didn't plan on doing an expensive trip and going somewhere exotic. Instead I took this week to help with my mother who is ill with cancer and to spend extra time with my kids after everything we have been through and take some time to find myself a little again. Last week I made it clear that I would be on personal time off and to please get a hold of the gal who is filling in for me if anything comes up. I really needed a break from all of that! But the last three days of my pto, I have been getting work calls all day. Even though it's supposed to be on the person who is filling in for me. It didn't bug me so much before, but getting a phone call at 10:00 pm while I'm holding my daughter to sleep just to say I want Saturday off for spring break, seems kinda rude considering that this person knows you are gone for personal time. Being caring, I always go along with it. But still time away should be time away? Don't you think?

I think that statement goes to the root of the problem.

 

[Angelface]

I think that statement goes to the root of the problem.

You're right. :/ However I started ignoring some. Maybe that would set the tone

 

[EastTexFrank]

Been there, done that ... but it's still a tough one.

When I did work for a living, I'll freely admit that I was a workaholic. That's OK, I was married to a woman who was also a workaholic so we understood each other's position. I supervised and managed a 24/7/365 day a year operation so I was ALWAYS on call.

Towards the end of my career, when I finally started to get smart, before taking off for a week-end or a vacation I held a meeting with everybody involved to go over what was coming up, what needed to be done and on what timetable, what was likely to happen in my absence and what we should do to handle just about every conceivable situation ... and then I left with a clear conscience. If I did receive a call, I would just say that whoever was calling was being paid to handle the situation so ... handle it.

The way that they did handle it may not have been exactly the way that I would have handled it but that's OK. It's very seldom that there is one single, simple way to handle a problem. There are usually various options that will achieve the required result. What makes a good manager or decision maker is that they usually choose the best of the various options given all the variables involved. Make sure that whoever is sitting in for you understands that. Tell them to stop thinking about what you would do and more about what they ARE going to do.

The benefit is that when you move up to the next level you leave behind someone who can slot seamlessly right in to the position. So, you are not only a good manager, you are also a good mentor which benefits both you and the company.

 

[waybomb]

You can supervise, you can manage, or you can lead.

Create an atmosphere whereby people are not afraid to forge ahead without calling you. You are young, but at some point you will realize it is much better to have a team that is stronger than you. If for nothing else, succession planning. Free up the reigns a bit and teach. Encourage learning. Give trhem all the tools to make a great decision. After all, the one that makes the best decisions are the ones with the best data and facts.

 

[Angelface]

This is all very nice to read and take in... Thank you! I don't mind it most of the time because I can own it and think of problem solving quickly. On a positive note, I guess you do have to feel flattered that people still come to you, even if they know there is someone else there in charge. I just don't want to get burned out. It's so easy to do when I have so much responsibility at home and work. Before this week I was getting to that point and the little things started to bother me. Just every once and awhile.. I need to know that I am me also, and I need to take care of just myself from time to time.

It's funny when you are young and you work entry level jobs and you never understand why things go wrong at the top and lack for better words, but start bitching about the people you work for or the company itself. Granted obvious things done on intent aside, every business out there has someone.. a human doing their job. And as we all know.. no human is perfect.