How to actually disconnect from work while on vacation

She was on vacation, pregnant and standing on top of a 10-foot-tall rock trying to get enough cell signal to have a conversation about an issue at the office.

“It was an emergency,” something no one else could handle, says Catherine Burns, artistic director of NYC storytelling nonprofit the Moth.

That was nearly 10 years ago. The Brooklynite was on her way to catch a ferry to Deer Isle in Maine, where she had planned to be off the grid, focusing on family.

But for Burns and many others, work has a way of imposing itself on vacations, sometimes before trips even start, and other times because we leave room for interruptions to come in.

While most people say they would like to completely disconnect from their jobs during their vacations, according to research from LinkedIn, 70 percent of professionals admit that they don’t fully break away. A survey by Captivate’s Office Pulse indicates that a majority think it’s so impossible they don’t even intend to try.

With the start of summer, almost half of respondents said that they will monitor e-mails, 28 percent will respond to texts during work hours, 15 percent intend to check voicemail and 13 percent even specified that they’ll take phone calls. Not only that, but 16 percent predict that they will spend 30 minutes a day working while on vacation, and just over 1 in 10 are willing to make that an hour a day.

“That’s not vacation,” says neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez, director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C. which has offices in Forest Hills and on the Upper East Side. Especially since the “nightmare emergencies that workers fear will arise almost never occur,” she says.

Moreover, failure to completely disconnect from work can lead to problems. “Your productivity and happiness suffer over the long term because the reset button that vacation is supposed to hit never gets touched,” says Hafeez.

It’s tempting to blame employers, tyrant bosses and the “always-on” workplace culture that the Internet and cellphones have created. But the reality is that most companies have policies and procedures in place to allow their employees’ vacations to be time that’s truly away from the job, according to attorney Vanessa Matsis-McCready, assistant general counsel and human resources consultant for Engage PEO.

She consults with businesses to craft guidelines, procedures, employee handbooks and the like. “Workers become better workers and better at their jobs if they really take the time off. Employers understand that,” she adds.

So, if employers are all-in on their employees not checking in on their jobs, what’s the problem? Data from LinkedIn suggests that many workers fear falling behind and having even more work to do upon their return. Not only that, but more than two-thirds said that they wouldn’t hesitate to reach out about work-related matters to a colleague on vacation.

So, given how important it is to disconnect, how can it be done?

Samantha Lambert, director of human resources at Flatiron-based Blue Fountain Media may have found the answer. While she was in Key West, Fla., earlier this month with her new fiancé and his parents, she didn’t check her voicemail or e-mail even once.

“For the first time in my career, I was able to truly check out, enjoy the sun and relax,” she says. That’s because Thomas Duffy, a 33-year-old internal recruiter who works at the company, offered to have her back during her absence. “I’d do anything for Samantha,” says the Bensonhurst resident.

But willingness in and of itself isn’t enough. It must come from the right person, says Lambert. “Not everyone has permission to view things like salaries, social security numbers or to write job offer letters,” all of which are part of her role, “but Tom does,” she says.

It’s not just qualifications that need to be considered when picking the person to cover for you. Confidence in their judgement and that they’ll work hard on your behalf is also key, says Ivan Misner Ph.D. founder of networking company BNI and co-author of “Who’s in Your Room: The Secret to Creating Your Best Life” (Indigo River Publishing, out now). He suggests identifying the individual long before you leave for vacation.

“Now is the perfect time to approach a co-worker about having your back during your break,” Misner says. “Once they agree, show them how to monitor your e-mail, how to handle day-to-day tasks that can keep your work product flowing.” One good way to get a colleague to cover for you is to offer to cover them first, he recommends.

Brooklynite Caroline Fairchild, managing news editor at LinkedIn, has this system all worked out with her colleague Maya Pope-Chappell, who works at the professional networking company’s headquarters in Silicon Valley, Calif.

“We’re a tag team,” says Pope-Chappell.

She and Fairchild have covered for each other for more than three years, including during Fairchild’s three-week honeymoon which included travel to remote places.

“I didn’t worry about what was happening at work at all,” she says. That’s because she had tied up most of her loose ends, brought Pope-Chappell up to speed on ongoing projects and introduced her to colleagues who might reach out.

“We set each other up for success,” says Pope-Chappell.

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