Life at work | Managers on their way to vacation

The image makes you dream. During training sessions with managers and leaders, Annie Boilard, from the firm specializing in human resources Annie Réseau RH, shows participants a photo. That of a cluttered desk on which the sunlight falls. Among the multitude of objects is a passport. To break the ice at the start of the meeting, the president asks the group to tell her about this image.

Isabelle Masse
The Press

“Three-quarters tell us about the passport,” she says. People want to use their passport and get out. They want to leave for real. »

The pandemic having lost much of its breath, the managers, who are out of breath, dream of a real downtime this summer. Several “stuck” days of rest. If possible, in an accessible oasis on the wings of Québec Air, Transworld, Eastern, Western or Pan American! Who doesn’t hear the Charlebois song these days? “People talk a lot about their vacations these days,” confirms Annie Boilard. They tell us they need a vacation. We feel the pandemic fatigue of managers. And it won’t stop. Economic indicators are green, order books are full, companies are in full production. »

A study by LifeWorks Wellness Solutions and Deloitte Canada revealed in 2021 that 82% of senior managers were mentally and physically exhausted at the end of their working day. Nearly a quarter (23%) were thinking of quitting and 16% of taking on a less demanding job.

“The statistics are alarming,” says Annie Boilard. You have to take a break. When we do it, when we’re outside, when we get some sun, we secrete serotonin, which neutralizes the stress hormones. »

“We will have no choice but to force the shutdown, judge dietitian-nutritionist Andréanne Martin, who has a team of eight employees within the company that bears her name. We hear: I’m going to slow down, but I won’t take a vacation. »

Recruiter Fanny Larocque will stop after months of driving at full speed. “During the pandemic, there was change management every week, says the president of Agence Charlie, which has 10 employees. At first, it was extremely exhausting. We had to protect ourselves and set our limits. It was hard not to answer all of them. I was always at the front. »

Objective moon

After an isolated summer vacation in a chalet for a week, Fanny Larocque will leave this time on a trip twice as long. “I can’t wait,” she says. Two weeks of total disconnection! And we wonder if it will not be three. Last summer, I went to a place with no network. This summer, it will be cabin and family trip, no email. It’s a must. This is my first two weeks in three years. »

Because for the benefits to be felt, you have to be able to pick up the phone, leave with peace of mind, forget your smart phone at the bottom of a drawer. “Over time, I was able to put responsible people in place,” says Fanny Larocque. I am no longer at the front. This reduces the risks. I know a lot of customers who answer their emails and come back without being rested. »

But not ogling your computer or your cell phone is an Olympic discipline for managers, leaders… in fact, for everyone. “I take vacations myself while staying connected, admits Annie Boilard. I’m not proud of that. »

However, more than the need to take a vacation, it is the need to disconnect that must be considered. “As many take their emails on vacation, they cannot fully recharge their batteries,” says Manon Poirier, Executive Director of the Order of Certified Human Resources Advisors.

The good example

Closing everything and not giving any sign of life also serves as an example for employees who will try to do the same. “Some work environments make you feel obligated to respond,” notes Manon Poirier. The exemplarity makes that people do not pick up. »

In the circumstances of recent years, not stopping for a good moment can have effects on several levels. Andréanne Martin sees the consequences of the stress linked to the pandemic and the whirlwind of work up close. “The heart of the business is supporting people who suffer from gastrointestinal problems,” she explains. These problems and issues of fatigue, stress and mental health are related. We have two months of waiting, we can no longer supply. I had to return to my chair as a nutritionist and clinician, because my team is out of breath. »

She can at least, between two appointments, dream of her planned trip to Italy this summer. “Three weeks of vacation is always my goal each year,” says Andréanne Martin. I succeed thanks to my spouse. He tells me not to open anything, but it’s super difficult. Because our business is our baby. We want to know if everything is going well. If there is a problem, we will want to solve it. »

In addition, Manon Poirier warns those who leave and return under similar conditions at work. “Yes, you have to take a vacation, but you have to make changes afterwards,” she says. We must not return in the same conditions, but give ourselves another discipline. »