Summer vacation is in sight. For Region South, it began as early as July 5, which means that many people packed their bags on July 4 and left for the sun or rest. For many workers, this is the time to step away from work, recover from a busy first semester and spend time with family, relatives or hobbies. Yet there is also a group of people who choose to do some work during the vacations. Sometimes out of necessity, sometimes because their own business is always going on.
As an employer or IT manager, it is important to be aware of this. After all, an employee logging into systems, answering emails or even processing files while on vacation poses risks. Not only in terms of IT security, but also for the mental health of the employee himself.
Technical risks of remote working
Working from a hotel room, a campsite or a vacation home sounds ideal, but it has pitfalls:
- Device security
What if the laptop is stolen from a vacation rental or hotel? Is the device then properly encrypted? Is BitLocker or another disk encryption solution used? - Data and backup
Suppose an employee works offline and stores data locally, and the laptop gets lost. Is there then a recent backup? Or are there any agreements at all about where and how to work? - Connect safely
Holiday Wi-Fi is notorious. Poorly secured networks at campsites or hotels are an invitation to cybercriminals. Are MFA (multifactor authentication) and device management in place? - Privacy and compliance
Is working with customer data abroad allowed under the AVG? Is sensitive data accessed in places where others can see?
These technical aspects are often in order in modern organizations, but they do require active management, clear guidelines and some employee awareness.
Human side: rest is not a luxury
Besides the technical risks, there is another important factor that is often underestimated: the mental impact of continuing to work while on vacation.
Rest is essential. Letting go of work, really being away from mail, tasks or consultations for a while, allows people to recover. Both physically and mentally. Employees who cannot fully switch off remain in a constant state of readiness. They do not achieve deep relaxation, which can lead to increased stress, fatigue or even burnout symptoms in the long run.
So employers would do well to have a clear policy: vacation is vacation. Encourage employees to really go offline. Set a good example yourself by not sending messages outside working hours or during someone else’s leave.
Finding balance: policy and support
In some industries, completely letting go of work is not feasible. For example, with owners of sole proprietorships, or with companies where accessibility is essential. In that case, it is important to make clear agreements about working hours, rest periods and security.
Checklist for working safely on vacation:
- Allow employees to work only on managed devices
- Provide encryption and remote wipe capabilities
- Activate MFA.
- Use only cloud storage, avoid working locally
- Set geographic restrictions for sensitive data
- Make arrangements for accessibility and working hours
- Encourage being consciously offline whenever possible
Conclusion
The summer vacation is not only for relaxation, but also for reflection. By thinking carefully as an organization about whether or not to allow work during vacation – and by providing a clear framework for this – you create a safe and healthy environment for your employees.
Because at the end of the day, you want everyone to come back rested after the summer. Ready to get back to work with energy. And you don’t achieve that with a laptop by the pool, but with room to really let go. Also read my column on North Limburg Business.