Good morning, everyone! We hope that you’re enjoying the summer HEAT, staying sun-screened, and spending time outdoors. As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, and summer is in full swing, we anticipate that many of you may be OOO over the next few weeks. If you’re scheduling upcoming PTO, especially as a new employee to a company or a recent graduate entering the workforce, keep reading below to ensure you do so in the most smooth and seamless way possible.

Summer and Holiday PTO!

• Planning Ahead: Planning ahead so that you are able to mitigate leaving a high workload to your team and coworkers is the best way to execute PTO smoothly. Whether a popular holiday weekend, tax season, campaign launch, end of the year, the beginning of the year, or any other seasonal overload, it is best to avoid leaving the office when the rest of your team and workforce is pushing over time. With the less work left at home, the greater the amount of time you will be able to spend relaxing and unplugging from electronics!
• Coordination: The most important aspect of leaving your office for a significant period of time (anything more than one week) is keeping everyone up to date with your plans and setting expectations. Make sure to coordinate your deligations far in advance to ensure your team, managers, mentors, and all employees are made well aware of your departure before it happens (we recommend at least one month in advance!).
• Open Conversation: We hope that this doesn’t come around too often, but be sure to be transparent about your intent to take a few days off with your coworkers. Sneaking the days or otherwise trying to keep it on the “DL” may result in your teammates being given work that they didn’t have the chance to account time for. Keeping an open approach and flexibility about your PTO is the best way to keep everyone in the loop and happy!
• Tie Up Loose Ends: If you’re leaving a project open, make sure that it is on a track to success. If you’re running into a blocker, waiting on a deliverable from another employee, or otherwise held back from bringing the project forward – voice it and resolve it before leaving! Imagine stepping into another employee’s shoes only to realize that their project is in ‘firedrill’ mode – we know that that wouldn’t make for a happy teammate! So, vocalize blockers, follow-up where needed, and ensure that your due dates have the green light on the path toward a successful completion.
• Across Time or Bundled: If you run yourself to burnout by avoiding taking PTO, you may end up resenting the office, your teammates, or your role. Remember, you are afforded this benefit for a reason… use it! Regardless of the way you distribute these days, affording yourself a three day weekend, a week off, holiday break, or any sum of time throughout the year is a lovely way to recharge, relax, and reprive yourself of your usual routine.

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