How to Cover the Office While on Vacation
A Guide to Letting Go of Work Without Losing Control
Jul 8, 2009
Taking a vacation at anytime during the year can throw the office out of whack. Everybody needs a break now and then, but there are any number of things that can occur unexpectedly while away. Preparation is the key to covering work tasks and returning to the office refreshed. The following can help anyone accomplish just that.
Give Advance Notice
Call or e-mail key contacts at least two weeks before leaving. Giving advance notice to clients, vendors, partners, and employees allows them to resolve any urgent business ahead of time.
Organize the Office
Designate a primary contact person. Colleagues will need to know who's in charge to maintain order. This should be someone trustworthy and able to lead and represent the company well in the event of a crisis. This person should also be given important contact information in case of an emergency.
Make arrangements with coworkers to cover specific tasks. For instance, someone will need to handle administrative details and specific projects that may be pending. Ask this coworker to sort the snail mail and put priority items on the top of the stack to enable a faster return to routine.
Create a list of work priorities. Besides designating the person in charge, establish a list of what tasks and projects are expected to be completed. This sets an agenda, and helps employees know what is expected of them. It need not be excessively detailed, but it must be clear and manageable.
Create a list of work priorities to return to. This will help ease the transition back into the office. Limit this list to short-term tasks-those that need to be done and can get the office back into the swing of things.
Pay important bills before leaving, or at least set up a payment strategy. Don't leave employees or coworkers in a lurch due to forgetfulness -- or tarnish a valued relationship with a vendor or service provider. Also, leave enough petty cash for employees to handle unforeseen bills or emergencies.
Put technology to work to make leaving the office easier. Program emails, phones and pagers to give an out-of-office reply clearly stating vacation dates, the exact return date, and the name of the interim contact person.
Cramming Last-Minute Work
Don't overwork before leaving. Overworking can lead to being too exhausted to enjoy the time off. Spread out preparations over the week or two prior to leaving to enable a confident respite from the office because all work has been covered in advance.
Once Gone
Attempt to disengage. Avoid calling the office, and leave the laptop at home. "Just because people have access to each other 24/7, doesn't mean it's healthy," says Hewlett Packard training manager, Brad Utterback (Interview, June 2003). "I'm a big fan of technology, but the whole idea of a vacation is to alter your routine way of doing things so that you reconnect with your family and yourself." In particular, avoid calling during the first 48 hours and the last 48 hours when on vacation. Start and end vacation time on weekends, if possible, to allow for restful buffers.
Now that all the preparation is done, it’s time to hit the road! Remember, this is vacation - check in only if absolutely necessary. Of course, not everybody is alike – some people may be able to relax more if they do check in daily, or periodically. No matter what style fits, don’t forget to sit back, relax and enjoy this work-free time. Bon voyage!
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