Vacation time?

Leaders should set clear expectations around vacation planning, approval, and communication to avoid disruption and disengagement.

We are in that time of the year now when everyone starts taking their family (or other) summer vacations. Most companies in this business seem to let their employees decide when they will be gone or not. There is very little thought put into these requests and securing formal approval from supervisors seems to almost be a vestige of the past.

I have a few thoughts on these vacations that I wanted to share:

•  If people are going to be gone, they should at least clear it with their boss. I don’t think it is too much to expect from an employee – it’s a courtesy if nothing else. I would never just “tell” my boss I’m going to be gone for a week or two.
•  Scheduling vacations is a lot easier if people plan in advance. Is it too much to ask to at least make these requests 30-60 days before they are supposed to occur? Sometimes you cannot afford to have specific people out at the same time or nothing gets done. Like whomever answers the phone. Or whomever does the SOQs or RFP responses. Or whomever pays the bills. Or a key PM on a job under construction. A little coordination may be necessary.
•  Is there somewhere in the company people can go to see who is out? A shared calendar? Maybe that would be helpful to those of us who send an email and request a response that we don’t get if we knew someone was out.
•  What is your policy on “out of office” emails. Personally, I despise them. The out of office assistant says “I don’t care about you” to me. I may be an old fart but I don’t think it is too much to ask for engaged, salaried professionals to look at their emails and texts a couple times a day even when they are on vacation. I can do it. Why can’t they? We all have smartphones with email on them. Do they actually care about their clients, company, and fellow workers, or not?
•  What is your policy on responding even if out of the office? I think a lot of managers are afraid to say that is their expectation for salaried workers even if it is. Why is that? Is it OK to say that even though you are on vacation we still expect you to check in daily? I think it is.
•  Do we force people to take their vacation every year or not? Do we think it is best for them to do so? Not to mention the fact that accumulated vacation time can become a major financial liability for the firm. If you do want your people to use their vacation time, make it a policy to use it or lose it.

Let’s stop acting like we are helpless as employers here when it comes to employee vacations. Unplanned vacations with employees who completely disengage are not OK and should not be treated as “normal.” 

Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com. This article originally appeared in The Zweig Letter. Reprinted with permission.

About Zweig Group

Zweig Group, a four-time Inc. 500/5000 honoree, is the premier authority in AEC management consulting, the go-to source for industry research, and the leading provider of customized learning and training. Zweig Group specializes in four core consulting areas: Talent, Performance, Growth, and Transition, including innovative solutions in mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, financial management, ownership transition, executive search, business development, valuation, and more. Zweig Group exists to help AEC firms succeed in a competitive marketplace. The firm has offices in Dallas and Fayetteville, Arkansas.