By: Alexa Rys, The Dot Ambassador

How to Plan for being OOO – Personally & Professionally

In May, I shared Part 1 of the “Out of Office” Series that outlined my go-to tips & tricks for traveling only – and successfully – by carry-on. I have loved hearing how you have already been practicing your packing with long holiday weekends and summer travel – keep the success stories coming! 

Packing well for a trip is critical to traveling efficiently and having exactly what you need when you arrive but there is so much more that needs to happen before you can zip your suitcase and be off on your next trip or take some time off of work, which brings us to Part 2 of our OOO Series. In this blog post, I’m going to take a step back and focus on how to begin planning for being OOO – personally and professionally. 

Some call it ‘taking PTO’ or ‘vacation time’ while others say they’re ‘OOO.’ No matter which terminology you use, we’re talking about the same thing – being away from the responsibility of work and being able to do what YOU want to do on YOUR time. Whether you really enjoy the work you do or the people you work with or you don’t (that’s real life too!), it’s safe to say that you probably enjoy being able to take that time for yourself – you’ve earned it. And if you’ve been in the workforce for a few years or more, it’s possible you feel the need to take time away from work more than ever. 

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the average workday has increased by almost an hour since the pandemic hit in 2020. Speaking from personal experience, my company started WFH during the pandemic and, after a brief adjustment period, I found myself actually being more productive at home – I no longer required travel time, getting ready was more minimal and I was not being easily distracted by coffee breaks or chats with coworkers. 

With that, I found myself working longer and more diligently from my home office than I had previously done when working in my corporate office. My personal and professional boundaries were blurry, I wasn’t taking time off and I needed a break– and I wasn’t alone. The U.S. Travel Association conducted a study that found American workers let about 33% of their PTO go unused – yikes!

Being career-driven has always been important to me but as I have gotten further in my career, I have learned that being dedicated to your work and wanting to prioritize your personal life should not be mutually exclusive. I value working hard and meeting career goals but I also love to travel and spend time with family and friends as much as possible. As a result, I realized I needed to prioritize taking time off work to recharge and focus on the people and experiences that bring me joy – and my company has given me the time to do so, so why wouldn’t I utilize it?! 

That being said, I have learned through experience that there is an art to PTO – and it boils down to proper preparation. If you read Part 1, you won’t be surprised that there is a theme of planning proactively across all of the OOO tips & tricks I am sharing with you. In the wise, frequently-quoted words from Benjamin Franklin, “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” There is a reason this quote has stood the test of time – and become a mantra for ‘planners’ like me. ☺

As you navigate through taking your much deserved (EARNED) time off of work, these are the tips & tricks I have gathered through personal experience to set yourself up for OOO success:

Be Intentional with your PTO Plan

Pick dates that work best for YOU. This may sound obvious but often gets overlooked in the excitement of planning that next fun trip. Think through what other big life events or work deliverables you are already aware of. Plan your travel around those pre-existing commitments to ensure you aren’t stretching yourself too thin or coming back from a week away to a big presentation at work – no one wants to be spending their PTO already thinking about what will overwhelm them upon the return home.

Pro Tip: I have found that the best way for me to fully enjoy my time OOO and come back stress-free is to give myself a buffer day before getting back to work. Weeklong trip? Come home on a Saturday and give yourself Sunday to sleep in, grocery shop, unpack, do laundry and relax. Someone who normally works in the office but has hybrid flexibility? Plan to WFH your first day back to ease you into your full routine. Plan your PTO in a way that keeps the time off exciting, not dreading your return before you even leave.

Communicate Your PTO Proactively

Once you have determined when you will be OOO, communicate your PTO plan with your leader, team and/or any professional contacts that need to be made aware. Every work environment has a unique set of routines for how PTO should be communicated, filed, added to shared calendars – follow your workplace’s routines and do so as soon as possible to ensure there are no conflicts with your plan. The sooner your PTO is squared away, the sooner you can truly start looking forward to it.

Appoint an OOO Contact

Each line of work is unique – maybe there truly isn’t another individual you work with that could help cover your responsibilities while you are OOO or maybe you don’t want someone to step in for you. However, if having a peer manage daily tasks, field a call for you, represent you at a meeting or keep a log of what happened while you were out WOULD be helpful, ask a peer to be your appointed OOO contact. Make their job (i.e. their job + the responsibilities you are asking of them) easier by clearly outlining what you would like them to cover, walk them through it and ensure you are aligned so there is no confusion upon your return.

Pro Tip: Appoint a willing peer to be your OOO contact who you trust and would potentially return the favor for in the future – few people WANT to take on more work than is required of them (especially without a direct reward) however it’s a great way to build good will with your coworkers. If applicable, offer to be their OOO contact for upcoming PTO they have planned in the same conversation!

Set Clear Expectations 

You know your work – is it possible for you to be completely unavailable when on PTO (I hope so!) or do you need to be reachable by phone, maybe only under unique circumstances? Clearly communicate to your leader, team and any other professional contacts that need to be made aware (think the same group that you shared your PTO plan with) what their expectations should be in terms of your availability while being away from work. Use your PTO calendar hold and/or set an automatic email reply reminding anyone who contacts you what your availability is or is not while you are OOO. 

Organize your Space 

Organizing your space before being OOO is a super helpful way to manage feeling overwhelmed upon your return. Coming home after a fun and/or relaxing trip to find a mess is a surefire way to make the transition back to your normal routine that much more daunting.

Pro Tips: 

Professionally: Clear your computer desktop, file documents in a way that will be efficient for you to pick back up when you return and BACK. EVERYTHING. UP. Depending on how long you are gone, maybe even write down passwords so you don’t forget them (this has totally happened to me before)

Personally: Pick-up your home, wash your sheets and do the dishes. Come home to a clean, inviting environment that allows you to settle back into your day to day, not worry about extra tasks. 

Remove Boundary-Breakers

This may be the most difficult part of being OOO to manage – but you can do it! You teach people how to treat you.

You teach people how to treat you. 

If you mimic being in-office while you are on PTO, your leader or team will likely expect that type of availability from you with future PTO – you don’t want that, this is your time! Remember when you ~set clear expectations~? Stay accountable to them by only making yourself available in the way you outlined before you were OOO. 

Pro Tip: If you have work-related apps on your phone, TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS (if that aligns with the expectations you set) and move them to the last screen of your phone or to a specific folder. This way, they will be out of sight while you are on PTO, allowing yourself to be present and not tempted by a quick email or two.

Have PTO to use? Put these tips & tricks into action and enjoy a well-planned, stress-free time OOO!