Summer is quickly coming to a close and many brokers are thinking of taking some much needed time off; but with today’s technology is it possible to truly take time away from the office?
Summer is quickly coming to a close and many brokers are thinking of taking some much needed time off; but with today’s technology is it possible to truly take time away from the office?
MortgageBrokerNews.ca recently ran a poll asking “with today's smart phone technology, is there such a thing as 'office hours' for you?” and only 11 per cent of respondents said they take true vacations and avoid working during them.
“I have a backup person for my vacations and advise my hottest clients I will be away; I truly need to get away from it all at least a week a year, so the cell phone is turned off and I don't check e-mail,” one broker said in the comments section. “One day we will all retire from the business and it will all stop.
However, not every industry player is willing – or able – to employ the same strategy. 22 per cent of pollsters said they work 365 days a year, while 39 per cent said office hours don’t exist. Meanwhile, others are able to strike a balance: 28 per cent have implemented regular office hours.
“We all need to unplug at some point for our own health and for the sake of our personal relationships,” the anonymous broker said on MBN. “Our clients don't always respond to us on demand.”
Interested in unplugging but not sure how to go about it? One crafty insurance professional shared his secret for enjoying a workless vacation with our sister publication, InsuranceBusiness.ca.
“You know what a good spot is? Cuba,” Mark Jackson, president of The Insurance Market in Ajax, Ont. told IB. “Even if you wanted to get an email, they don’t come through. You’re away from everything. Last year when I was there, that is exactly what happened.”
Jackson said he was nervous at first but eventually let loose and was able to truly enjoy the time off.
MortgageBrokerNews.ca recently ran a poll asking “with today's smart phone technology, is there such a thing as 'office hours' for you?” and only 11 per cent of respondents said they take true vacations and avoid working during them.
“I have a backup person for my vacations and advise my hottest clients I will be away; I truly need to get away from it all at least a week a year, so the cell phone is turned off and I don't check e-mail,” one broker said in the comments section. “One day we will all retire from the business and it will all stop.
However, not every industry player is willing – or able – to employ the same strategy. 22 per cent of pollsters said they work 365 days a year, while 39 per cent said office hours don’t exist. Meanwhile, others are able to strike a balance: 28 per cent have implemented regular office hours.
“We all need to unplug at some point for our own health and for the sake of our personal relationships,” the anonymous broker said on MBN. “Our clients don't always respond to us on demand.”
Interested in unplugging but not sure how to go about it? One crafty insurance professional shared his secret for enjoying a workless vacation with our sister publication, InsuranceBusiness.ca.
“You know what a good spot is? Cuba,” Mark Jackson, president of The Insurance Market in Ajax, Ont. told IB. “Even if you wanted to get an email, they don’t come through. You’re away from everything. Last year when I was there, that is exactly what happened.”
Jackson said he was nervous at first but eventually let loose and was able to truly enjoy the time off.
