In last week’s article, “Planning to Have a Life Outside Your Business,” we discussed the need to schedule your time away, to have a Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy, and to support your business and employees by creating Systems and Training that enable PTO. This week we are presenting a listing of PTO Systems that your business should have in place to support your employees, clients, and company:
- a policy that outlines PTO hours and any seasonal requirements or restrictions for taking paid, or unpaid time off (consult legal advice to ensure it’s within state and federal regulations)
- a standardized out of office message for both phone and email o example email: I am out of the office starting on the afternoon of Weekday, Month, Date and will be returning to the office on Weekday, Month, Date. If you require information or need immediate assistance in my absence, please contact our office at phone number. Thank you
- a standardized form for requesting PTO (click here to receive this sample)
- a system for handling PTO in case of an emergency and unplanned absence
- a schedule/calendar for management to track all PTO for a given time frame
- a reminder to schedule a touch-base meeting with key employees before vacation
- a to-do list for employees to record any responsibilities or special situations that need to be handled, or may come up while they are gone
