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As a manager, it can be extremely difficult to walk away from work for a day let alone an entire week. Cell phones and email are a big part of this problem for managers because it means that a manager has to be available to his or her employees even when the manager is off of work. While many employees are smart and hardworking people, there always seems to be that one employee who has to keep throwing out a lifeline to the manager.

This causes stress on an off duty manager. Under the ideal circumstances, a manager should be able to leave work and not have to worry about what is going on at the business when they are not there. In reality, the manager is accountable for everything that happens, even when the manager is not around. This makes it difficult for a manager to unplug from work. The result is that a manager becomes fatigued due to stress and isn’t able to mentally recover.

Adding to the manager’s troubles is that they are often salary employees. That means the manager is required to keep working without overtime pay. Psychologist and people who stare at computers all day, like accountants, can experience this problem as well. Since these kinds of professionals have to be available to other people all the time, they do not take the appropriate time out for themselves.

This can lead to a plethora of problems. Too much stress at work can affect interpersonal relationships between both family and coworkers. A manager can lose his or her temper and take out anger on employees that may not have deserved it. Finally the manager can make costly mistakes, which can add to the problems the manager is already facing.

The most important thing for a manager to do is to take vacation. While on vacation, a manager needs to do things like turning off the cell phone and not check the email. There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, employees have to learn how to rely on and help each other when the manager is off of work. That will not only improve teamwork, but it will give the manager space from work as well. It also will teach the manager not to micromanage other people. A good manager is a manager who knows how to trust the people underneath him/her.

The benefits of taking regular vacations are immediate. Sometimes managers will feel like they are owned by their work. While it is important to have a career, it is also important to take time out for yourself. Many managers are afraid to take time off because they are concerned about having to come back to a complete mess when they return to work. Taking regular time off will help a manager to confront those fears. Finally a manager is less likely to experience burnout when they take the needed time for themselves. This is will improve interpersonal relationships between the manager and employees.

Reference: http://www.management-issues.com/opinion/6736/time-out-why-leaders-need-vacations/

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