CellTrak Virtues: Work Smart, Have Fun!

CellTrak believes in fostering an environment where we work smarter, not harder, and that we enjoy what we do! We strive to simultaneously work smart and have fun. Life is too short to do something you do not enjoy doing with people you don’t enjoy doing it with. 

This blog post is part of our five-part CellTrak virtue series, including Empowering Care 365, Exceptional Team / Exceptional People, Think Big / Execute Small, and Be Transparent. Click the links to learn about our virtues.

Our team is full of smart, hard-working individuals who are fun to work with. Our Director of Marketing, Julie Konieczka, won the "work smart / have fun" award at our latest All-Company Meeting in November. One CellTrak Team member said,

“Julie is always focused on keeping things moving and getting them done correctly but also finding the fun in the work we do and bringing light on that to everyone. She seems to really love the work and this shows in her work product and her personality. It is great to work with her.”

Incorporating working smart and having fun is increasingly important in the home care industry. After 15 months of coronavirus response, Home Care Aides, Nurses, and Office staff alike are feeling burnt out. In the industry that never sleeps, we’ve all asked ourselves – "when can we catch a break?" Covid restrictions are lifting nationwide, and average daily cases are decreasing, making it the perfect time to prioritize time off for oneself.

Please note, see the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations and guidelines for safe travel before making travel plans. As of May 2021, The CDC has released new and updated guidelines outlining travel advisories for vaccinated people, meaning if you are fully vaccinated, you are free to travel domestically without needing to quarantine.

In the industry that never stops, how do you take time off? Though we’ve been consistently renowned as heroes through the COVID-19 pandemic, time off and prioritizing adequate time for rest is nothing to be a hero about, and neglecting personal physical and mental health can lead to Caregiver Burnout.

The Home care industry never takes a moment to breathe, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to take time to breathe. Here are some best practices for taking time off:

Your agency may have a unique policy for vacation hours, so be sure to address your office staff to see what is available to you to take time off. It should be noted that not every agency offers, paid time off, and time off may be at the cost of the employee.

Additionally, some agencies have specific rules for offering paid time off—for example, you may need to work a certain number of hours to achieve a paid day off. Verify these policies in your employee handbook or with your office manager.

As with any other job, be courteous: Offer a reasonable period of time to request time off. Two weeks to one month tends to be the norm, but your agency may have a specific ruleset for planning paid time off. Planning ahead and offering adequate time will make taking time off a smooth and easy transition and will avoid potential scheduling issues.

Communicate to your patients about when you will be away

Patients trust and rely on their caregivers. Don’t leave your patients out of the loop on your time off! Let them know whether or not they will be able to contact you while you’re away, and if they will have a replacement caregiver in the interim. Depending on the patient’s condition, some patients and families may not want to schedule visits while you’re gone.

Have Fun!

Enjoy time to recharge! A healthy amount of rest and relaxation is imperative to avoiding caregiver burnout, continuing to enjoy what you do and providing the best possible outcomes for your patients.

Looking to work for CellTrak? We’re hiring! For more information about job opportunities, click here. All applicants should send their resume to careers@celltrak.com