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Dear Joanna
The holiday season is coming next month. In addition to the statutory holidays during that time, I will be taking some vacation days as well. I have a hard time relaxing, resting and having fun when I’m away from the office. I’m always checking and handling my work emails and messages after hours. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can enjoy the holidays and have a stress-free vacation?
Signed: Vacation Fears
Dear VF
This blog has lots of great tips to prepare for your vacation as an employee – https://worxbee.com/articles/fridays-list-12-tips-for-preparing-a-work-vacation. The fears of dealing with a ton of work when you return or the extra workload placed on the staff who are covering for you in your absence, are definitely valid concerns. But, your health, well-being and work-life balance, and taking a holiday is critical. Here are some ideas to ensure that you have a stress-free, fun-filled and much-deserved holiday.
- Give warning. Before you book your vacation days, discuss this with your manager to make sure there is sufficient staffing while you are away and that this time away works for the team. Once you confirm the dates, make sure to advise your boss and employees who will cover for you during that time.
- Stay covered. Again, first discuss this with your manager as you don’t want to step on anyone’s toes! Once a co-worker is identified and approved by your boss, go ahead and ask them to see if they can help take over your duties while you’re away. Offer to return the favour when it’s her or his turn to go on vacation. But remember that your fill-in colleague still has a job of her or his own. Depending on your work load, you may need to split your responsibilities among a few coworkers.
- Prioritize tasks. Sure, you’d like to finish that big job before you go on vacation, but if it’s not due until two weeks after you return, it can wait. Focus on more urgent deadlines first.
- Make a list. Even before you’ve switched into holiday mode, create a back-to-work to-do list. This way, you won’t have to think about these duties while you away.
- Be semi-available. Create a list of contact names and numbers your colleagues might need while you’re away. Give your team and manager your emergency contact info but be sure to stress that it’s to be used in an emergency. Mention that you have “limited access to internet and phone” while you are away.
- Offer help. Provide helpful hints to your cover person about the people or tasks that they’ll be handling. For example, “Sally is only in her office from 9:00 to noon each day.” Or, “Amanda is not a morning person; you should talk to her in the afternoons instead.”
- Do double duty. If you’re swamped with work, try to put in a couple of extra hours here and there before you leave. All that added time will help you tie up loose ends, and you’ll thank yourself when you return from vacation to a lighter workload.
- Set a “vacation alert”. Change your voicemail and email to let clients and colleagues know you’ll be away. Be sure to include contact info for someone they can call or email in your absence.
- Clean up. There’s nothing more depressing than returning from vacation to see that a pile of papers has swallowed your desk. It’s important to leave your work space clean, neat and tidy before heading out. Important files should be clearly labeled—and accessible—on your desk to ensure that co-workers can easily find the information that they require.
- Plan ahead. Resist the urge to overload your first day back in order to catch up from emails to phone calls to meetings. Schedule a quick 15-minute chat with your cover person to catch up on what you will have missed when ease back in as you re-adjust to your work routine. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Give yourself sufficient time when you return to sort through your emails, messages and other issues that have happened while you were away.
Happy Holidays!
Joanna
To submit your challenges, concerns, questions and comments regarding this column and/or your job search IN CONFIDENCE, please email Joanna Samuels, Employment Resource Supervisor, Reena – jsamuels@reena.org