Office Managers: Your Checklist Before Your Vacation

By
Daniel Spielberger
·
August 30, 2018

No doubt you are constantly being asked to do things for other people. Perhaps you are planning, or dreaming, about some get away time over the upcoming long Labor Day weekend, but you wonder just how they will ever survive without you. In order to make sure your office won’t fall into disarray when you’re gone, you should set up a checklist now of things that need to get done before you leave for PTO. Here are some things you should consider.

Cancel Vendors

Make sure that there isn’t a huge supply of office goods coming in when you’re out of town. Get in touch with vendors ahead of time and see if they can reschedule for when you’re back. With Eden’s vendor chat feature, you don’t even have to pick up the phone or wait for them to respond to your emails — just log in and send them a message.

Switch Delivery Dates

Though everyone loves snacks, nobody wants to be randomly burdened with unpacking and organizing boxes of food. If you’re using a delivery service, schedule shipments for right before you leave and right when you get back. This way, your pantry will be fully stocked for when you’re gone and there will be a minimal wait time for it to be restocked.

Trash Pick Ups And Cleaning

Your colleagues won’t stop producing trash just because you’re gone. If you’re in charge of taking out the trash and ensuring that your office is clean, have a system in place and schedule trash pick ups. In addition, you should make sure that the cleaning staff will be aware that you will be away and have clear instructions for what to do in your absence.

Move Start Dates For New Employees

As an office manager, one of your most important duties is onboarding new employees by introducing them to their coworkers, showing them where all the supplies are, and welcoming them to the team. If you’re not there for a new employee’s first day, it could leave the new hire left outside with no keycard to get in. A few weeks before your day off or vacation, meet with your team and double check that new employees’ start dates are after your PTO. Ideally, your colleagues will be flexible and agree to move their start dates.

Set up an Email Reminder

Right before you go out of town, send an email to your coworkers letting them know you will be on PTO. Even if it’s for a day or two, let them know how long you will be gone and who they can contact with their requests or concerns while you’re away. To make sure there’s no confusion, set up an automatic reply informing anyone who emails you that you will be out of town. On top of that, switch your Slack to “Away” and maybe even throw in a playful emoji that conveys your state of mind like a palm tree or beach umbrella  emoji.

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