First Grown Up Job Guide: Preparing for annual leave

By December 19, 2018For Companies, For Talent

Hold your horses! Before you dash out the door on annual leave, there are a few things that you need to do first. Here is your etiquette guide for going on annual leave in your first job.

Put your request in early

In most offices, you will have to apply for annual leave through your line manager. Every company has a different policy. Some companies need at least one month’s notice before you take time off, others are more relaxed. Your company’s policy should be stated in your contract or handbook. Follow the rules and you won’t piss anyone off.

Add your holidays to your calendar

Let your colleagues know when you will be off on annual leave. An easy way to do this is to block off your calendar. That way if someone starts to wonder where you are they can simply check your schedule.

Write a handover

If you’re taking more than one day off you really should write a handover for the other people on your team. It doesn’t have to be a full-on thesis. Simply jot down the projects that you are working on and what stages they are at. If the team needs to take any actions when you are out, let them know.

Decide who can cover your workload

Speak to your manager or colleagues about who will be standing in for you in your absence. Identify a suitable person (or perhaps two people) for the role and ensure they have the capacity to look after your work. You should add their contact details to your OOO.

Set an OOO

Before you skip off on annual leave make sure that you have set an out of office auto-reply email. Luckily, we have a variety of different templates that you can choose from whether you’re leaving for Christmas or simply a holiday. You should also change your Slack status to ”vacationing”.

Reserve time for when you come back

Block out your calendar for the first two hours when you return to work. This will give you time to settle back in, open emails and write to-do lists before you have to attend meetings etc. Ease yourself back in.

Clear your workspace

Before you check out for your holiday you should take ten minutes to tidy up your workspace. Clear your desk, unplug your computer and take home any bits and bobs that are lying about. Coming back to a tidy workspace will make that first day back so much easier.

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Author Alice Murray

Alice Murray is a Content Creator at Jobbio with a passion for Employer Branding and Graduate Culture. She's a keen traveller and a self-proclaimed lazy runner.

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