The Summer Exodus

So, we have hit that time of year again… the summer holidays, or for anyone who runs a business will know, the looonnng summer (and no, this isn’t a GoT throwback reference *) because summer can be a quiet time in terms of actual bums on seats in the office, and your clients offices, but this can also mean a manic time if you have to manage it.

Everyone deserves a break, especially during the warmer months when the sun is shining, the days are long, the kids are bored of their everyday surroundings and you desperately need to go somewhere well out of WIFI range and very much within Pina Colada range. But where does that leave us at the workplace? The mass collusion of summer school holidays means that there is inevitably some overlap with when people are away and also when everyone, and we mean, everyone, wants to get everything cleared from their desk, and invariably dumps it right onto yours…

We’ve established that we all need a break from time to time, it makes for a much happier, creative and productive team but the actual job of juggling the summer holiday leave so that workload is covered and fair is always a complex one.

So, here are my top 5 tips for surviving working the summer:

1. First come, first served. There has to be some rules in order to keep holiday allocation fair, so this simple rule is always my first top tip.

2. Create a holiday calendar that everyone can see – that way everyone can easily asses when is best to book time off and whether or not it’s going to clash with a counterpart.

3. Plan ahead – If you have something important that you need time off for, make sure you get in early and always try and plan ahead. This makes everything easier and minimises the risk of any upset or stress with having to find last-minute cover.

4. Communicate – At Pistachio, I like to think that we are flexible when we need to be and we always ensure that the health and well-being of our employees is at the forefront. So, with a bit of communication, and compassionate juggling everyone should get what they need without the need for unnecessary stress and confusion.

5. Have one point of contact – organising everyone can get confusing and if there isn’t one point of contact then a lot can get lost in translation across managers. Plus, it always helps to keep holiday forms up-to-date, especially when one might make the mistake of accidentally erasing all holiday days from the shared calendar…maybe it is time for a holiday after all…!

Thanks for reading our top-tips on juggling staff summer leave effectively. If, like us, you still like to keep things at full-pace over the summer, then get in touch today to discuss your next project or campaign, we’d love to hear from you!

*RIP to every season but series 8, you will enjoy no peace in the afterlife