Leaving work for an extra couple days for the new year? Don't forget to do a few last-minute housekeeping of your workplace before you go! Check our Warehouse Direct's top 7 tips of your holiday OOO checklist to end your year right and start 2020 on the right foot:
1: Clean your desk.
There is nothing worse than coming back to your desk and it’s a mess. Be sure to take time the day before your vacation to tidy up your space, make sure the garbage is thrown away, and overall clean your space. You will be refreshed when you walk-in to work to a clean space to be productive in!
2: Mark your vacation time
Is telling everyone at your company about your OOO time an undaunting task? Be sure to mark your electronic calendar the dates you won’t be at work. That way if anyone from any department is wondering where you are, they can access your schedule without a hassle on either side. Open communication is key for success and less stress when taking a vacation!
3: Update your boss
Let your boss know who will be handling your duties while you are on vacation. Not only will it help your boss know who to check in with on certain projects, but they will also appreciate that you took the responsibility to make sure everything was covered.
4: Create OOO messages.
With the hustle and bustle of last-minute tasks to complete, forgetting your OOO messages can be easily forgotten. Make sure to record an OOO voicemail and create an automatic OOO email during your time out of the workplace. Don’t forget to include a point of contact while you are away and when you will be back to work.
5: Get in touch with your co-workers
Heading out of the workplace for an extended weekend? Be sure to contact all your co-workers you need to delegate tasks to while you are away. Keep in mind that they have their own tasks to fulfill, so giving them as much notice as possible will be appreciated. Detail anything that they may not know so they won’t contact you while you are away.
6: Contact your clients
Make sure your top clients know what’s going on before you leave the office. Doing this extra step shows you value their business, rather than them find out your OOO status via automated email or voicemail. Be sure to keep them in the loop when you will be back and who they should contact while you are away.
7: Make a quick NYE Resolution List for your return
Start off 2020 on the right foot with a workplace resolution list to come back to! Do you want to be more organized? Make a task to clear out your cabinet drawers for the new year. Want to have a "zero inbox" goal? Start by deleting unnecessary old emails from 2019. Whatever tasks you want to tackle, make sure it will boost your productivity for the new year!