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Today we are going to talk about how to properly book time off work!

We all have those vacation days we can use, but let’s be honest sometimes it’s hard to ask for time off even if we are entitled to those days. Your boss can’t say no to time off, but they can say no to a certain time and ask you book for another time. If you work a more seasonal job, your boss might ask for vacation days to be used in the company’s downtime. If you don’t have a downtime, keep reading and we’ll go over the best ways to ask for time off.

It’s prime time vacation season coming up- so follow these tips when you start looking into booking your vacation!

  1. Pick the best time to ask your boss. If you know your boss is stressed out, don’t approach him/her with a time off request. Always make sure you are asking at a good time, a quieter time when you know there is free time to discuss your time off.
  2. Pick the best time for your company. As I said before, if you work a seasonal job or have busier times than others at work try to refrain from asking for time off during that time. The chances of the time off being approved is slim and if it is, your boss might not be too pleased with you.
  3. Ensure you have your time off in writing. You can verbally discuss your time off with your boss in a face to face meeting, but be sure to have it in writing as well. It saves a lot of possible confusion if there is ever a miscommunication or change in plans.
  4. Catch up before you go! This is one of the most important things to focus on when asking for time off. Don’t leave behind a desk full of things that aren’t done. Finish any started work you have before you go, that way you are not leaving anything for another employee. This will show you are organized and considerate of everyone in your office.
  5. Inform whoever needs to know. Do you have an assistant or partner whom you work with every day? Don’t leave without informing whoever needs to know that you are gone. This way they can get organized with your desk if needed. This doesn’t just go for office employees- make sure to have an out of office message set up on your email. This way anyone who needs to get in contact with yourself or the company will be aware of your absence and reach out to another employee who can assist them.
  6. Ask and don’t tell!! This is another majorly important thing to keep in mind when you are getting ready to request your time off. Make sure you are not telling your boss “I am off such and such a day or week.” The best way to request time off is like this “I have X amount of vacation days left, I would like to use them for this and on this date, would that be workable for the office? This shows your boss you are being considerate of your office’s schedule and understand that you need to request days rather than choose your own days.
  7. Last but certainly not least- schedule your time off in advance!!! I cannot stress this point enough. Don’t plan a two week vacation and ask for time off the week before- that’s a big no no! If you are planning on booking a trip, ask your boss if that time would work before you actually book it. This ensures you can book the trip with ease and not stress about the time off and it’s easier for everyone when you schedule in advance!