Even On Their Vacations, Workers Stay Connected

Working vacations have become as common as rising gas prices during summer months, a new survey shows.

The study, conducted by Beta One Research for Jameson Irish Whiskey, found that 96 percent of respondents check in with their offices several times during their vacations.

“Electronic leashes,” including beepers and cell phones, are blamed for making it nearly impossible to sever ties with the office. According to the survey, 70 percent of Americans receive phone calls from work while trying to vacation.

Only 5 percent of survey participants are able to relax as soon as their vacation starts. Nearly 60 percent said that it takes them between one and two weeks to relax, and by then it’s time to head back.

So what’s a cog to do? “Instead of spending your vacation working,” said psychologist Robert Butterworth of International Trauma Associates, ” it’s better to pre-determine when you’ll contact your office and place a strict limit on the amount of vacation time you spend in contact with your office.”

Here are some strategies that Butterworth recommends:

* Designate one primary contact with the office so you are not making and receiving calls from an entire staff.

* Create a specific time when you will be available for emergencies and stick to it. (For example, you’ll take calls each day at noon).

* Program your e-mail, work telephone and pager to send an immediate reply stating that you are on vacation and will respond upon your return. Be sure to give the name of the contact person in your office who will handle crucial correspondence in your absence.

Employers have tough time filling jobs

Finding qualified workers remains as high a priority for companies today as it was two years ago, according to a survey for Robert Half International Inc., a staffing service.

Twenty-seven percent of chief financial officers polled by Half said locating prospective employees was the biggest challenge facing their firms in the next 12 months. That matches the response in a 1998 survey.

Sustaining growth ranked second, at 22 percent, followed by government regulation and meeting customer demands (both 15 percent), competition (11 percent) and other (5 percent). Another 5 percent either didn’t know or didn’t answer.

Be careful when you drop names

Reference checks can make or break your career, according to OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in administrative professionals.

“Despite the candidate-friendly nature of the marketplace, the quality of an applicant’s references still plays a key role in the final outcome,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam.

Domeyer suggests you don’t leave your references to chance by always asking permission before listing someone as a reliable source. She also suggests you list people who can elaborate about your performance and back key resume points.