How to Manage Time Off, Holiday Due Dates, and Closures
As we enter the end of the year, it is a good time to proactively approach any time off, impending closures, signposting reduced or modified service and support, and to plan ahead for any adjusted deadlines.
Proactive Planning, Deadline Adjustment
There are activities for which the deadline will adjust. For instance, in years with a late American Thanksgiving, work due “at the end of November” might adjust to the first of December, or even the end of the first week of December. However, one cannot assume that adjustment. For instance, international deadlines might not celebrate the same holidays or observe in the same ways or on the same days. That could mean that partner contributions might be delayed or adjusted and this needs to be planned ahead. When in doubt ask!
Between a late Thanksgiving, various December holidays falling on differing days, and people departing for end of year travel, it might be incredibly difficult to get a team meeting from late November through the end of December at all. Knowing of those plans in advance and not making assumptions will support that planning. Additionally, end of year deadlines don’t always abate. For instance, any money that needs to be cashed by December 31 to ensure it is counted in the calendar year, still needs to be cashed by that date, normally without flexibility.
Out of Office and Signposting
It is critical to understand who is planning to be out of the office, when, and for how long, and signposting this both internally and externally can be helpful. Your office might have a norm to be closed for some duration over a range of holidays, and you need to decide how partners, internally and externally, are made aware. Is this on a website, is there standard rider language on every away message and signature, and when do you start making that clear? Again- proactive discussions will help you to ensure others know about any planned closures or periods of reduced or delayed service.
Coverage and Real Emergencies
There might be a need to cover actual activities and real emergencies. There are teams that have to ensure that every check is cashed prior to December 31, and that team might have volunteers come in December 30 to open every envelope and deposit every single check. There might be actual reporting deadlines that cannot be met prior to a planned closure, and due dates towards the end of the year that you are waiting for other information to close. With planning those can be covered. For teams traveling for research, there is a possibility they might have an on-site emergency, personal or financial needs or issues, etc., and there needs to be a plan in place to support them also.
Emergencies Due to Lack of Planning
Faculty forgetting a pre-award deadline or having “quiet time in the clinic” and thinking that is a great time to engage in a large pre-award submission, research development scoping for the next year and questioning the last three months of financial reports, that he or she had neglected to read- is not an emergency. Again, if they planned ahead and stated they might need that support, it might be feasible to provide that, should people be working. Hopefully, with pre-communication that those services are not available or limited to emergencies, there can be better communication about support available.
Plan ahead for a smooth end of year, holiday period, knowing you have an emergency plan, a contingency for support and have signposted those for those who might have needs!
Authored by Saiqa Anne Qureshi, Adjunct Faculty,
Johns Hopkins University
SRAI Catalyst Committee Member
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