“Out of Office” Overload? 8 Ways to Keep Things Moving When Everyone’s on Vacation
- jrezvani
- Jul 3
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 7
It’s July, and your inbox is full of “OOO” replies. While we’re big fans of time off
(your PTO policy should be too), what happens when half the team is away and you still have deadlines to meet?
Vacation season does not have to turn into chaos. The solution is not asking people to take less time. It is building smarter systems that support well-earned breaks while protecting the people who keep things running in the meantime.
Here are some ways HR and people managers can keep teams moving when vacation season is in full swing:
Use a shared vacation calendar so no one is caught off guard.
Encourage auto-replies that are clear, helpful and professional.
Normalize handover notes, even for shorter absences.
Coach managers to distribute coverage fairly rather than leaning on the same person every time.
We have expanded on these tips and added four more practical strategies in a free checklist you can download and share with your team.
Download the full checklist: “8 Things You Can Do to Keep Things Running Smoothly During Vacation Season”
