Ah, Summer. . .the siren call of vacation and summer activities is upon us!  Dealing with time off requires everyone in your firm to think a little differently.  Vacations are proven productivity enhancers and innovation simulators  but also vacations can cause stress for managers, employees and even vacationers.

Here are some vacation tips so that employees will return from vacation relaxed and rejuvenated.

  • Create a department calendar or company-wide calendar for people to post their vacation.
  • Have a protocol in place on office coverage and ways to create fair scheduling.
  • Prior to vacations, rearrange work so that no one returns to “too much” work.
  • Encourage vacation coordination between your employees.
  • Do ask for destination contact information for emergencies and only use it for that!
  • Schedule time after the vacation to “see the pictures”.
  • Announce job or corporate changes after the vacation season, not before.

Remembering the purpose of a vacation is to de-stress, relax and get rejuvenated.  Helping your employees achieve that will help your company achieve its goals with more peace.