How to plan for PTO coverage

Taking PTO (personal time off) is very important to you and the company. It affords you downtime away from work giving you time to rest, recharge, re-energize, and relax. Whether you are going away on a big vacation, staying nearby on a staycation or just hanging out at home with friends and family, be sure to take the time allotted to you. It benefits you and the company as you come back refreshed and help to stave off burn-out.

See this report from Harvard University on How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being: https://hbr.org/2023/07/how-taking-a-vacation-improves-your-well-being

OK! So now you know the importance of taking your PTO but you’re concerned about leaving your work for more than a week. What will happen to all that needs to get done? Won’t it be a big mess of missed deadlines, unanswered questions, and stalled projects when you get back? Not if you follow these simple steps in preparing for your PTO.

I. How to plan for PTO coverage:

• 4 weeks (or more) in advance, request time off from your leader.
• 3 weeks prior to PTO: Inform colleagues of your PTO dates well in advance
• Add to your email signature (optional)
• Add to the outlook calendar (your teammates, larger team, partners)
• Add to weekly meeting agendas

• 2 weeks prior to PTO: Secure coverage for your projects and portfolio. Depending on how much is expected during your PTO, you may need to find more than one colleague to cover for you. Inform your leader of your cover(s) and plan.
• 1 week prior to PTO: Make a list of all anticipated action items and follow-ups and share them with your cover. Include in this list all relevant POCs, deliverables, deadlines, and file locations. Be sure your cover(s) can access the files.
• 3 days prior to PTO: Meet with your cover(s) to review the list and answer any questions. Tag your cover into emails related to open items. Forward any must-attend meetings to your cover. Let your partners know who is covering for you.
• 2 days prior to PTO: Try to close out as many open items as you can and update your coverage list. Also make sure your project tracker is up-to-date.
• 1 day prior to PTO: Create your OOO message with coverage information and schedule it to turn on at EOD. Send your updated list (or link to it) to your covers and leader.

II. How to make an effective list:

• Utilize your project trackers to identify open projects and deliverables. 

• It is critical that you keep your project tracker up-to-date.

• Determine which items can be completed before you leave and which can wait until you’re back.

• Create a list of deliverables and projects which have to be completed while you’re out.

Include: 

• Day-to-day responsibilities that need to be delegated

• Brief description of the project or deliverable

• Status update on everything you’re working on 

• Due dates

• Points of contact for each project

• Relevant meetings

• File names & locations

• Names & email addresses of the teammates who will be covering for you

It doesn’t need to be fancy or elaborate. If you do not use a project management tool in your job, you can create a table in Word/Google Docs or Excel/Google Sheets.

III. Post-Vacation Follow-Up:

Before you head out, be sure to schedule a meeting to go over everything once you’re back.

That’s it! With a little foresight and preparation, you won’t worry about work as you’ve ensured you have coverage and that your colleagues are prepared. Enjoy your time off so you can come back refreshed and recharged. Happy vacation!

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