Vacation Planning for your Worklife!

Ahh, summertime – time to get away on a vacation for relaxation and fun in the sun! Well, not for everyone. Studies in recent years by Expedia.com and Management Recruiters International estimate that vacation time has shrunk from an average of more than 7 days (25 years ago) to only 4 days in 2005. Thirty percent of employed adults gave up vacation time they had earned, resulting in a total of 415 million unused vacation days in 2004, according to a survey by Harris Interactive. The reason? According to managers and executives surveyed, over 50% say it’s due to job pressures – they just have too much work to do.

If you find yourself relating closely to these findings, here are some helpful tips for preparing for your much needed vacation:
Set priorities. 3 or 4 weeks before your vacation is to start, determine what tasks or projects must absolutely be complete before you leave and what can wait. Reprioritizing every few days as you get closer can really help you clarify what’s urgent or not.

Give advance notice – verbally, to colleagues, co-workers, customers, and so on, so they have it in mind and can respond accordingly. Remind them again a few days out for any last minute questions or activities.

Leave a paper and email trail. Be organized and have projects streamlined and documented so others can figure out next steps and who to call while you’re away.

Decide who should have your vacation contact info. This person should know to call you only in dire emergencies.

Have someone check your email and voicemail. Even if you have “out of office” notices on both, important messages may sneak through. If possible, this person can help weed out your “junk” email too.

Prepare for your return. Before leaving, schedule meetings or calls with people who can fill you in on what happened in your absence. Leave plenty of open space in your calendar for catching up on emails and voicemails, as they are inevitable. Let voicemail take your calls while you ease yourself back into your workplace. Don’t let that vacation state of mind slip away too easily!

By putting these suggestions into action, there should be no reason to check email or voicemail or even think about work while you’re on vacation. Enjoy the time away, clear your mind, and know that it will still be there when you get back!

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