Christmas decorations may have been up before Halloween, but with Thanksgiving creeping up next week, it is safe to say that the holidays are actually upon us. Most businesses are closed not only for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also, the days surrounding the holidays. Every employee looks forward to these days off work so that they can enjoy time with family and friends and recharge before the new year, but before you cut into your holiday turkey (or Tofurky) next week, and deck the halls during December’s break, it’s important to ensure all your Turduckens ducks are in a row, especially if you’re in a quick moving service based industry, like public relations.
1. First and foremost, create a list of what you need to complete before you sign out for the holidays. You don’t want to wake up on December 25th remembering you forgot to submit an award or respond to an email! You’ll be much more productive in both your work and rest if you have a list of what needs to be done in advance of a holiday break.
2. After you know what you need to accomplish before the break and start checking off your to-do list, it’s vital to let your clients know exactly when you will be out of the office and the extent of your availability. If you’re traveling and will not have cell phone or email access, it is essential to connect your client to a colleague in case an emergency emerges. Furthermore, you should inquire about your clients’ holiday schedules and availabilities, and work with them before the break to have a spokesperson prepared in case a media opportunity arises during the holidays.
3. Once y ou and your clients have communicated about your holiday hours, you can set up an out of office email that will more lightly outline the information you shared with your client. It’s necessary to include contact information and the dates you will be out of the office.
4. Depending on your client’s industry, they may be working on the holidays, meaning you will need to check your email at least once a day to ensure everything’s running smoothly for them. As mentioned previously, if you’re traveling and don’t have access to the Internet, be sure that your colleague knows what they should be checking for from the client and that they are briefed on the protocol that follows.
5. If you handle a business’ social media accounts, an easy way to help make your holiday break merrier is to schedule posts before you disconnect from work. Twitter and Facebook have platforms, such as Hootsuite, that make scheduling posts in advance simple. But it is still important to check in daily in order to engage with potential customers.
Preparing for holiday breaks may seem stressful, but doing so makes your time off much more valuable, as you’re more focused on relaxing and spending time with your loved ones. When bosses are generous enough to give their company time off, (like at Integrate!) it’s because the employees deserve it! Allow yourself the rest and recreation you’ve earned, but don’t forget to dot your I’s and cross your T’s beforehand!
Written By Laura Littlejohn
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