Preparing for holiday/vacation?

[susan silva]

Many people take time off over the holidays.  Do you take time off?  How do you prepare for time off?  Do you have task that have to be covered or a job that you just come back to and work through want needs to be done?   

[gee4]

We get such good holidays in work that a lot of people will be finishing this week.

For me the Christmas holidays are too long and this year I find I am carrying days yet again.

Because we close from 23 Dec and don't re-open until 3 Jan, people tend to complete work that is outstanding.  We had 3 secretaries off in my building today but there were 3 others to cover if anything was needed and that is how we operate.

No one does my job when I'm off, but if someone needs travel, it can be booked by someone else.

[Katie G]

Our organization is technically closed, but our department must be manned for year-end stuff. 

We each volunteer to come in for one day between Christmas and New Year's so that we have a skeleton crew on duty if anything hits.  These are usually "light" days, limited to covering the phones and opening the incoming mail. so we arrive "sometime before 9:30" and leave after the mail arrives, which is around 2PM.  We are also permitted to dress fairly casually on these days.

There's about 3-4 of us on each day and we all get along well, so it ends up being a fun day.  We bring in goodies, chat, play music.  I usually spend the day giving my desk a good cleaning and the files a good going over. 

[Cozwaz]

We close for two weeks - this year we finish on the 20th Dec.  Out of office goes on and that is it until the 4th Jan.

Its my long holiday of the year and a time when I can really unwind and relax (I hope)!

[msmarieh]

Although we are open, we might as well be closed, as a large percentage of the company takes vacation. I'm taking a few days. Don't need to do a whole lot before then. I'll be in the office part of each week. Will be catching up on my filing and some of my "end of year / let's tidy up loose ends" projects that are left out there.

[Atlanta Z3]

I save my PTO (paid time off) to take the last week of the year off.  Since I know it's coming I clear any major projects off and I have a good back up person (who I also fill in for when she is out) that I know will take care of any issues.  Our office is like most slow this time of year with most of the senior managers out of the office so it's quiet for the few that are here.  We do have to have coverage for all days as our office is only closed on 12/26 and 1/2.

[peaches2160]

I will take vacation time 12/22 to Jan 2.  With the holidays falling as they are, only using 6 vacation days.  I will have everything up to date when I leave.  I dont have a back up.  I am looking forward to the time off.