Getting Ready For Office Breaks And Holidays

Preparing to shut down the office for a scheduled break or a holiday can seem like a trial sometimes. There are so many items on your extended closing checklist that it may not seem possible to get everything done on time and still complete daily tasks and expectations in the days leading up to the closing. However, you can ease your office into the transition by taking a few steps to prevent any snags and keep the closing procedures on track with simple solutions such as memos, a remote power switch and a backup server.



The biggest task that is most often overlooked is letting people know that the office will not be open. Employees and personnel will usually be aware if they are keeping track of their schedule as expected, but clients and vendors may not be informed and quite often nobody thinks to inform them. This can cause problems during the break itself when the head of the office has to field calls from confused representatives. To avoid problems and misunderstandings, circulate a memo at least two weeks prior to the break. Make a comprehensive list of everyone who needs to know about the office closing and double check it before sending out the notice. This should ensure that everyone is informed on when you will be available.

Turning equipment off and on can be overlooked as well. Items that are not being used over break should be turned off unless there is a reason not to do so. Lights, copiers, shredders and similar equipment can be shut down or unplugged. Any computer equipment that is normally used on a regular basis should be shut down, but on some kind of schedule to allow you to easily and quickly turn everything on for the employees when work resumes after break. A remote power switch can allow you to do this. Make sure not to turn off, unplug fax machines or phones, any computer that acts as a server, and any equipment for community pets such as a heater, or filter for an aquarium. When you return, just turn lights back on manually, turn computers back on, and double check that all necessary equipment is plugged in.

You will also want to make sure to make backups of any pertinent information, especially if you are running a server computer from the office. If you purchase a subscription to an online backup service, ensure that you schedule a backup one day prior to closing and double check that it has run successfully. If you do not have access to a service, then use an external hard drive or other physical equipment to manually save any information you need to save. Usually a cycling feature on your server computer will do this for you, but it is important to make certain that the backup was successful.

There are many other small tasks you will want to complete in preparation for your office holiday, such as changing your voicemail settings, turning down the thermostat and even checking the faculty coffeemaker. However, making sure to prioritize all the major tasks and complete them first will help ensure that you will be less stressed and more likely to complete the smaller tasks as well. Turn everything off and on easily using a remote power switch, double check the recipients of your memos and ensure that backups are being completed. With some thoughtful organization, it can be easy to leave work behind for the holiday.