Closing Work Before Your Vacation: A Practical Plan
Updated September 2026: in 2020 I wrote about racing to close a service request before my vacation, working long hours with a delivery lead who also wanted it done before his own leave, and finishing in about two days. I have rewritten it as a guide to closing work before time off.
I started on the service request as soon as I logged in, after my usual look at news and trends online. I wanted it finished early, because my vacation was a few days away and I had a feeling I would otherwise be pulled back in during my leave. The delivery lead supporting the request worked just as hard, since he wanted to take leave the week after. We were both frustrated by the onsite team's attitude and constant changes. With extended hours we completed the whole request in about two days and sent the revised deck to the onsite team for review.
Why does work follow you on vacation?
Because it is left half-finished, or because nobody else knows enough to answer questions. Clients and onsite teams often send feedback just after you leave.
How do you plan to finish before leave?
- List what must be done and what can wait, a week before you go.
- Agree the review date with the onsite team, so feedback arrives before you leave.
- Find a partner, like my delivery lead, who shares the goal.
- Block time in your calendar for the work itself.
What if feedback arrives after you leave?
Hand over properly. Name a colleague who can answer questions, share the files and a short note on decisions made, and set an out-of-office message pointing to that person. Then trust them to handle it.
Are long hours before a vacation worth it?
For a few days, often yes, if it lets you switch off completely. Just avoid starting your leave exhausted. If the work cannot realistically finish, agree what will be handed over instead.
How do you handle iterative changes from an onsite team?
Collect changes in batches rather than one at a time, and agree a cut-off for the last round before your leave. Every change after that goes to your cover person.
Should you check email on vacation?
Only if you have agreed to, and at set times. If your handover is good, you should not need to.