It’s no longer unusual for teams to include people from different countries, which means managers must be fluent in those countries’ vacation patterns, too. This can be challenging because different cultures perceive vacation time very differently. Some countries, like the U.S., see time off as a luxury; others, like Germany and France, see extended vacations as the norm. Here’s how to make sure your team members can take their vacations without letting work slip through the cracks:
- Make a master team schedule. Include the major holidays in your team’s countries and any other dates when people will probably be out.
- Create a work coverage plan. Ask your team to suggest ways they can cover for each other when you’re short-staffed. Have simple processes for helping people catch up quickly after they’re out.
- Adjust as necessary. If you find yourself with too much work and too few people, tweak vacation dates or project timelines as needed.
Adapted from "Managing Vacations When Your Team Is Global," by Melissa Hahn and Andy Molinksy
