Career Advice Career Doctor

On-vacation calls the final straw

 

I already put up with it during the work week, fielding work e-mails and instant messages on my personal mobile phone after work hours. If I don’t respond, I get chased up with follow up phone calls late into the evening.  Sometimes, I just want to switch off and have some down time, and it’s so hard to even take leave. The final straw is being contacted while on holiday overseas. I’m supposed to be enjoying my vacation with my family, but instead I’m getting calls and having to find Wi-fi spots to reply to e-mails. How can I enjoy my break when I’m worrying about finding my next internet coverage and when my boss will next call? I don’t even want to think about my mobile bill when I get back to Hong Kong! Can there be work-life balance? I don’t see other departments in this company having the same issue. Do I have to find a new boss? What can I do to break free from this vicious cycle?