This is the time of year when many people request time off work for the holidays. It can be difficult to manage end of year demands at work and taking time off of work for family travel and celebrations. Here’s a few tips to help you manage your holiday time off work.

  1. Plan ahead. Make sure to get as much work done as possible before heading out of the office, and develop a plan for how to tackle your responsibilities when you return to the office. Also, make sure to have a solid out of office plan. Who will be your backup, what items must be completed when you are out of the office, and who will be in charge of taking those responsibilities? Make sure to get your out of office contacts’ agreement to help in advance to make sure you are covered.
  2.  Work remote. Ask your manager or supervisor if they will allow you to work remotely for a period of time, so that you can meet demands at work and at home. If you’re travelling for the holidays, maybe your manager will allow you to complete work remotely from your family’s house. In this day and age a virtual office can be made possible almost anywhere with Wi-fi.
  3.  Enjoy the holiday. It’s so easy to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, with the tug and pull of home and work, that we can become Mr. Scrooge. Don’t become overwhelmed with the competing demands of work and family. Make sure to use flexible work schedules and flexibility to work remote, and planning to make the most of the holiday season and try to enjoy the time with family and friends.