Those who work hard need a break every now and then. However, Steve Jobs did not use his free time the way most employees would.
How did Steve Jobs spend his vacation? The visionary, who passed away in 2011, had strange behavior towards his employees. For example, he fired an employee five times. Even on vacation, he did not stop reaching out to his employees.
According to Tony Fardell, the inventor of the iPod, Jobs’s thoughts were also focused on work during vacation. The genius, who led Apple to success with a simple piece of advice from his father, called his employees during vacations to discuss ideas and plans.
Despite the pressure of these calls, the conversations were enriching. Steve Jobs used these holidays to expand his thinking and escape the daily routine at Apple.
Tony Fardell, via The Tim Ferriss Show on YouTube
The problem was that the calls could happen up to six times a day, according to Fardell. Jobs wanted to hear opinions on potential acquisitions, new products, or technological advancements. This would have created a high workload for the employees.
If you own an Apple product yourself, the following MeinMMO video can explain an important function:
Vacation is for relaxation
Is this behavior acceptable? His behavior may have contributed to Apple’s great success. However, vacation should be for relaxation, even if it can sometimes be difficult not to think about work while on holiday.
Even though Steve Jobs lived in America, it is forbidden in Germany according to Section 8 of the Minimum Vacation Law for employees (via Federal Vacation Act) to engage in any work during vacation. This law does not apply to employers, which is why Jobs would not have violated any laws under German law.
Especially on vacation, it can help to see things from a different perspective. It might be that Jobs was able to clear his head in different places and that is why he came up with the best ideas.
Steve Jobs demonstrates with this behavior what an extraordinary person he was. There are more facts about him that might seem curious to others. MeinMMO has compiled eight exciting facts about the visionary: Steve Jobs was allowed to drive his car without license plates – 8 facts about the Apple founder
