Experts assessed the impact of work chats on Russians' vacations
Every fifth employee continues to stay in touch during their vacation, which is why a good rest turns into a continuation of the work process. This practice not only reduces the effectiveness of recovery, but can also be a sign of problems within the company. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
Working on vacation as a problem of corporate culture
Anna Alikova, an independent HR expert, notes that constant calls and texts during vacations often become part of the corporate culture. Employees are beginning to perceive 24/7 availability as the norm, although in most cases such a need is not related to real urgency, but to unsettled processes within the company.
"20% connected on vacation is a marker of a systemic problem, not a personal choice. In areas with client-specific focus, such as IT infrastructure, medicine, or logistics, duty shifts are indeed possible. But they must be arranged through a shift schedule and with mandatory compensation. In all other cases, calling an employee on vacation becomes a toxic norm that is shaped by management," the expert explains.
According to Alikova, the risk of losing her job due to complete offline withdrawal remains low for a valuable specialist. However, the problem lies elsewhere: career advantages are often gained by those who constantly stay on hand, respond quickly to messages, and demonstrate maximum accessibility.
This practice can negatively affect the company's reputation as an employer. If employees have to sacrifice their personal time for the sake of career growth, this becomes an alarming signal for the HR brand.
Why do employees check their own work chats?
At the same time, a person does not always stay in touch only because of management pressure. Clinical psychologist, CBT therapist Anastasia Helemelya explains: anxiety and the habit of constantly monitoring the situation are often the cause.
"It's not the job itself that prevents you from shutting down, but the dopamine loop. Checking work chats creates the illusion of control: a person thinks they just want to make sure everything is in order. For a short time, anxiety decreases, but the brain continues to be in threat waiting mode, so there is no proper rest," says the specialist.
According to the psychologist, if an employee checks work messages more than twice a day, stress levels may remain elevated. The body does not have time to go into a state of recovery, and the vacation turns into a kind of "work with bad Internet".
The main sign of a problem is when a person opens mail or work chats not out of interest, but out of fear. At the same time, working thoughts continue to return even in situations where an employee objectively cannot change anything — for example, at night, while walking or relaxing with his family.
According to Helemeli, sometimes work becomes not only a source of income, but also a way to feel your own importance.
Some people use work tasks as a way to avoid personal problems or conflicts, while others face excellent student syndrome, when self-esteem directly depends on their own usefulness.
"Burnout does not begin when a person works hard, but when working thoughts continue to haunt him even at times when he is physically unable to influence the situation. Then rest ceases to fulfill its main function — restoring resources," the psychologist notes.
The expert emphasizes that the right to rest does not depend on the degree of employee involvement. The right to rest is secured by labor law, not by your usefulness to the company. If a business can collapse just because one person went on vacation and stopped responding, the problem is not with the employee, but with the organization of the processes.
How can companies arrange vacations without constant calls?
In order for employees to really relax, businesses need to set up task transfer processes in advance. Anna Alikova recommends implementing the "one stop shop" rule: for the period of an employee's absence, a specific deputy should be appointed who takes on current issues and makes decisions within his area of responsibility.
It is also important to carry out a full—fledged handover - transfer of cases at least three days before the start of the vacation. During this time, it is necessary to describe current tasks, possible risks, and procedures for dealing with unusual situations.
If a supervisor regularly contacts an employee during a vacation, this may indicate problems with management and delegation.
"Managers in such situations need to be trained not in heroism and constant control, but in the proper allocation of tasks. The ability to build a process so that the work does not depend on one person is an indicator of mature management," the expert believes.
How to learn to relax and not check your phone all the time
The psychologist advises employees to gradually form the habit of digital detox. One option is to pre—define two short periods per day of five minutes each for checking messages. The rest of the time, it is recommended to turn off notifications and not log into work applications.
"The habit of checking your phone dozens of times a day creates the feeling that something dangerous will happen without constant monitoring. This can only be changed by practicing safe rest — gradually returning to the brain the understanding that a pause is not a threat," says Helemelya.
Experts emphasize that vacation is not a privilege or a reward for good work, but a necessary resource that allows an employee to remain productive in the long term.
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