Do you have a hard time disconnecting from work — like, completely disconnecting — while you’re on vacation? Here are five things to do in advance to protect your precious time off.
Provide a plan. Prepare a document outlining how your work will get done. Who is the emergency contact for each issue that could arise in your absence? Who will manage any ongoing projects?
Block your calendar. This way, your manager, colleagues, and clients will remember that you're out-of-office (OOO) any time they try to send you a meeting invite.
Send pre-notices for standing meetings. Don’t just decline standing meetings the week of your vacation. Send emails to let the people who run those meetings know that you won’t be there—and ask if there's anything they need from you before you depart.
Optimize your OOO message. State that you will not be reachable until the date you return. Include an internal contact for emergencies and one who will handle other important but non-urgent inquiries.
Thank you for your email!
I am out of the office and will not check messages until I return on {{Someday, Month 15th}}.
If you have an immediate need, please call our office at {{979.693.2911}} to leave a message for the soonest reply.
In my absence, the following staff may help as their regular duties allow:
- {{anybody}}@grace-bible.org for {{anything}}
- {{somebody}}@grace-bible.org for {{something}}
I will attempt to respond to all messages in a reasonable time upon my return.
Send a final reminder. The week before your vacation, remind all your relevant collaborators when you’ll be on vacation and the date you’ll return.