Don’t Leave Your Coworkers Out to Dry This Vacation Season

You did it. You scheduled time away from work and are looking forward to a well-deserved vacation.

Congratulations!

But before you walk off the floor or slap that laptop closed, make sure you’re not overlooking one important thing: the impact your absence will have on your coworkers.

Being a great teammate in today’s workplace means being responsible – and proactive. If you want to come back from your vacation and see genuine smiles on fellow employees’ faces, set them up for success while you’re away:

Create a game plan for who will handle your work.

Depending on your job, you may need to make arrangements for others to field calls, meet with customers or clients, return emails, or complete tasks. Meet with your manager to determine how best to delegate tasks, and then work with them to clearly communicate who will take over what. Don’t forget to thank anyone who will be lending a helping hand to cover for you while you’re out!

Set clear expectations about your availability.

Tell your team exactly when you’ll be out, so they can plan accordingly. Clarify if and when you’ll be checking messages, and what to do if an emergency arises. And if you’ll need a day to catch up once you return, let everyone know in advance.

Plan with coworkers who are expecting things from you.

If your vacation will impact anything you deliver to someone else:

• Be empathetic. Acknowledge the impact your absence will have, and take your coworkers’ goals, deadlines, and responsibilities into account.
• Finish and deliver anything you can before you head out.
• Work with your colleagues to set reasonable expectations for work that needs to be pushed back.

Notify people of your upcoming vacation.

At least one week prior to your departure, share your vacation schedule with anyone who may be impacted (both inside and outside your organization). It’s helpful to update your email signature well in advance, too, so everyone who messages you knows when you will be out.

Setup your tech.

Make it easy for customers, clients, vendors, and anyone else you interact with to get the support and information they need while you’re vacationing:

• Change your email autoreply. Your out-of-office message should say when you are out and set expectations for when you will reply. Specify whom to contact if it’s an emergency, and when to try you again if it is not.
• Update your voicemail message in the same way.
• Adjust inward-facing tech, too. For example, be sure to update your availability status on other communication platforms (e.g., Slack).

Leave your work area clean and organized.

A cluttered workspace isn’t just unappealing to look at while you’re away, it makes it tougher for coworkers to find things (should they need anything during your absence). If you work onsite, take some time to tidy up your space before you head out, organizing and clearly labeling anything team members may need to access.

Enjoy your vacation!

As a quick reminder, PrideStaff is here to help you find a job where you are happy, successful, and able to take the time off you deserve.

If you’re interested in exploring new options, contact the PrideStaff office in your area to find out more about great local job opportunities. We’ll take the time to learn what you really want from your job – and present opportunities that are a great fit.