Taking Time Off During the Holidays (and Actually Enjoying It)
Congratulations! You have burned yourself out all year to come head to head with the busiest time of year! Where is the reprieve? Q4 is notoriously known for being one of the busiest times of year in Corporate America. Not only does business seem to ramp up (and pile on) but you’re also trying to plan for the new year, tie up loose ends, and oh yeah… take some time off to enjoy the holidays with your family and friends.
Remember them? Your family and friends? Between juggling kids’ school events, sporting practices/games, after work commitments, and trying to maintain a social life… the entire year has bubbled up to be one big BUSY sign.
But as we enter into the holiday season, while stress may be present, I’m here to encourage you to take your well deserved time off even if it’s the busiest time of year. Because the work will always be there. But your family, your friends, and the memories will not.
Here is how you can effectively communicate a boundaries and expectations around time off this holiday season:
Remember time is your most valuable asset - you will never get this time in your life back again. But work? That'll be there the minute you get back. Always. Remind yourself of this fleeting reminder whenever you are about to ask for time off.
Explicitly communicate expectations around time off - Understand what time off means to you and your organization. Does your employer expect you to be on call? To be responding to emails? Are you able to fully disconnect? Can you leave your phone/computer at home? What about email on your mobile? These are all essential questions to ask yourself (and your management team) to ensure expectations are clear and consistent.
Lead by example - If you are scheduled to take time off yourself, do NOT respond to emails, slacks, or meeting requests. If you are always available, even while out of the office, it sets the tone and standard for others to always be available. This is true for both managers and individual contributors. This WILL results in a lack of trust and higher levels of burnout.
If you want your workforce to come back from the holiday season refreshed, re-energized, recommitted to the business then give them time and space to be an individual outside of work. They can produce the best work when they are the best version of themselves. And sometimes time off is the best tool to reconnect with your humanity.
On the flip side, I also want to recognize that the holiday season can be incredibly sad, isolating and hard for people. Offer space and support for those who may need it. Not everyone has family to spend the holidays with and not everyone has fond memories as the end of the year approaches. Give space for everyones experiences.
Below are a few templates to use when approaching conversations around holiday time off:
When you need to ask for time off,
“Hey xx, I am planning on taking [xx date - xx date] days off. I am aware this is a busy time of year and this is how I will set the team up for success before and while I am out: [action item # 1, action item #2, and/or action item #3]. How else can I help make sure I'm able to fully disconnected during these days off to relax/explore/be with my family during those dates?”
When you suspect the holiday season is tough for people,
“Hey xx, I’m not sure if and how you may celebrate the holiday season but if you ever need support or space in the coming months, I am here to help”
When you need to communicate expectations around time off,
“Hey team, with the busiest time of year around the corner and recognizing the holiday season is upon us, the goal of this email is to ensure expectations around time off and work related projects are communicated.
Expectations # 1
Expectation #2
Expectation #3
Questions? Here to help!”
Recognizing every workplace and every individual has different experiences in the holiday season, Career Civility is here as a resource to help you have these conversations!
Good luck closing out the last quarter of 2022!
