Law firm: vacations need rethinking

In a wired world where employees bring a BlackBerry to the beach, companies need to rethink their vacation and work policies, said Nixon Peabody LLP, a law firm with offices in Boston.

As the Fourth of July holiday cranks up in earnest and as many folks looked to turn the fourth into a five-day mini vacation, the firm thought it was a good idea to issue some food for thought that thoughtful employers might chew over.

"If nonexempt employees are checking their e-mail or conducting business while on 'vacation,' they may be entitled to compensation for the time worked" as well as for rest breaks and meal periods, Nixon Peabody said.

There's "more ambiguity" with exempt employees, the firm said; if the employer has an expectation that the employee will check in on voice mail and e-mail, the employee needs to be compensated.

And the firm said that setting rules around BlackBerry and cellphone use is "critical for employee morale."

"Employees who don't need to pretend they were spending their vacation 'in a dead zone' can actually rest, relax, and be fired up to burn the midnight oil upon their return," Nixon Peabody said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)