(Published March 23, 2009)
By the time you read this, I hope to have my toes buried in the Caribbean sand and to not be thinking about work. I'm not trying to rub it in the faces of those of you who, like me, are ecstatic that spring has finally sprung. But I thought it would be a good time to talk about preparing for vacations or another type of extended absence to ensure that some of your job responsibilities don't fall through the cracks.
Sometimes it seems that going on vacation is more trouble than it's worth. I find that I work twice as hard before I go, so I put as little burden on my colleagues as possible, and I work twice as hard when I return, in order to catch up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Really, I'm not.
The first thing I did was look at my calendar before I booked my trip. When is the best time to take off? There never really seems to be a "best" time, but there are some times that are better than others.
Then, after I confirmed my travel plans, I moved a series of deadlines back a week. Although a week might sound like a lot, the changes weren't overly taxing because I was able to adjust the schedule far enough in advance.
Due to the changed deadlines, my colleagues were on notice of what they needed to do to accommodate my absence (thanks, all!). While I did everything I could before I left, there are naturally going to be things that can not be done in advance. I had one-on-one meetings regarding other tasks that I needed them to take care of for me. I made sure that those outside of my department knew who to go to during my absence.
I also made sure to change my voice-mail message to inform callers of when I would be returning to the office and how to get in touch with someone in the meantime if their need was immediate. I set up the auto-reply on my e-mail with the same information.
My desk looks great; you can actually see it. Normally, it's covered with piles of paper — organized chaos, if you will. I know where everything is, but my colleagues don't. So I put away the papers that my co-workers definitely would not be needing in my absence, and the remaining few piles were straightened up and clearly labeled, just in case.
When I return, one of the first things I'll do is check out the responses to this blog!
Gloria Ju
Editor in Chief
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