Preparing for PTO at Work: The Professional's Guide to Actually Taking Time Off

I'm taking the first week of April off. My husband's birthday, my daughter's spring break, and…some long overdue time to just be a person outside of my laptop. And as I sit here blocking off my calendar and mentally preparing my handoff, I find myself doing the exact same thing I teach the professionals I work with to do: be intentional about how I communicate my time away.

Because in our ‘always on’ workplace, it’s not enough to simply put up an out of office message and hope for the best. Unfortunately, people expect us to be online and available 24/7. So when we break away from that expectation, it can cause confusion. 

In fact, one time… I had my ‘out of office’ up for only a couple of hours on a random weekday so I could go to a doctor's appointment and because I hadn't listed a backup contact in the message, a client got mad at me for it and emailed my CEO… calling me out for leaving them without support. I wasn't even gone a full day. I had simply stepped away for a few hours and forgot to close one loop. And while I had a lot of feelings about that situation in the moment, I’ve learned that people don’t care about your time off they want what they need and they will be upset when they don’t have access to it. 

I share that story because I don't want that to be your experience. Not when you have earned every single day of PTO on your calendar (and more).

So if spring break is coming up for you or any other vacation days on the calendar, let's talk about how to prepare well before you ever set that out of office message.

Start communicating your PTO earlier than feels necessary.

This is the advice I give most often, and it is the one that makes the biggest difference. The goal is simple: by the time you actually leave, no one should be surprised. Your time off should feel like a known fact to everyone in your orbit, not a last-minute announcement.

What does that look like practically? Start weaving it into your everyday communications a few weeks out. You can mention it at the end of your standing meetings. Something as simple as, "Before we close out, just a quick reminder that I'm out of office the week of April 7th. I'll be sending over a handoff document as we get closer." That's it. Short, clear, and it plants the seed early.

I've also seen clients add their upcoming OOO dates to their email signature in the two to three weeks leading up to their time off, and it works beautifully. It's a passive but consistent reminder that doesn't require you to bring it up in every conversation. It does the work for you.

The more you communicate it ahead of time, the more space your colleagues, and your manager, have to plan around your absence. And the less likely you are to come back to a week's worth of, "Hey, what the heck."

Have a direct conversation with your manager before you leave.

Not just an email. A real conversation — whether that's a quick Slack message, a five-minute sync, or a standing one-on-one where you dedicate a few minutes to your upcoming time away. Your manager needs to know three things: when you're out, what's currently on your plate, and who can cover anything urgent in your absence.

This is the piece most people skip. They assume their manager knows, or that the calendar invite is enough. But your manager is likely juggling a full team, and the burden of communicating your coverage should not fall on them to figure out last minute. You own that piece of the puzzle.

Here's an example of what that conversation or email can look like:

Hi [Manager's Name], as a heads up, I'll be OOO from April 7–11th. I'm putting together a brief handoff doc that outlines my active projects, any pending deadlines, and who can field questions in my absence. I'll have that over to you by end of day Thursday. Is there anything you'd like me to specifically flag or wrap up before I head out?

That message communicates responsibility, transparency, and respect for your manager's time. And it opens the door for your manager to flag anything that might need your attention before you log off.

Create a working document and share it.

Before you close your laptop, put together a simple document, or email, that lists out your active projects, any upcoming deadlines, and who is owning what in your absence. This doesn't need to be a novel. It needs to be clear and accessible. The goal is that anyone who needs context while you're away has a single source of truth to refer to instead of hunting down answers or, worse, escalating to leadership unnecessarily.

Share this with your manager and anyone else who is covering for you. And send it a few days before you leave. 

Write an out of office message that actually covers people.

After the experience I shared earlier, I will say this with full conviction: your out of office message should include a backup contact. Even if it’s simply a help center contact. Not just for the people you work with internally, but for any external clients or vendors who may reach out while you're away. Without it, you are one "urgent" subject line away from someone calling in an escalation that you had no way of anticipating.

A strong out of office message does four things: it tells people when you're out, when you'll be back, who to contact for anything time-sensitive, and if you're comfortable, it gives a brief, human reason why. People respond to warmth. You don't have to overshare, but a short line that reminds them you're a real person taking a real break goes a long way.

Here's a template you can make your own:

Thanks for your email! I'm currently out of the office from April 7–11th, celebrating spring break with my family. I'll be back on April 14th and will respond to emails then. If you need assistance before I return, please reach out to [Name] at [email]. Looking forward to connecting when I'm back.

Simple. Human. Covered.

You have earned this time off. The preparation you put in before you leave is what makes it possible to actually be present when you get there so you’re not scrolling your inbox on the beach. Heck! Leave your computer at home and delete the email app off your phone (crazy talk, I know). 

Set yourself and your team up well, communicate it early, and then genuinely step away.

You deserve it.