Band 8 essay sample: contacting staff on holidays.

Smartphones have made it possible for managers to reach employees almost anywhere, and some now expect replies even when staff are on leave. Although this can occasionally rescue a business from a crisis, I believe the disadvantages are greater, unless such contact is strictly reserved for genuine emergencies.

The benefit is clearest in small organizations where knowledge sits with very few people. If the payment system of a small online shop fails while its only technician is abroad, a ten-minute call can prevent a whole day of lost sales. In that situation, a brief interruption is a reasonable price, and many employees would rather help than return to a disaster.

The costs, however, tend to be hidden and long-lasting. The purpose of leave is recovery, which depends on being mentally switched off, not merely away from the office. A friend who manages a hospital department checked her inbox every evening of her vacation just in case, and came back feeling as if she had never left. Multiplied across a workforce, this half-rest matters for productivity, because exhausted staff commit more mistakes and fall ill more often.

There is also a cultural effect. Once a few people start answering messages at midnight, availability quickly becomes a measure of commitment. Staff with young children or elderly parents then appear less dedicated simply because they cannot respond. In one team I know, nobody was required to reply on holiday, yet within a year everyone did, and two experienced members left.

On balance, constant contact does more harm than good, so a clear policy has a great importance. Staff should be contacted on leave only in real emergencies, and a named colleague should be responsible of urgent issues. Anyone who still has to work on holiday should get that time back.