We’ll whisper it very quietly and it might just happen, it looks like summer holidays are back on in 2022! Nothing beats time away from the workplace, making memories with loved ones. Whether you are longing for an exotic beach, an exquisite meal in warmer climes or exploring the wonders of a foreign city, holidays make us happy. What doesn’t make us happy, is returning from your break to a million emails that will bring you down to earth with a huge holiday bump. Here’s our handy tips for staying on top of your inbox so you can make the most of your break

Before You Go

Preparation is key to staying on top of your inbox.

• Send an internal email to your colleagues to tell them the dates you will be away and who will be dealing with your work in your absence.

• Set up forwarding your emails to the person(s) covering your work so they can deal with any requests promptly.

• If there is any urgent work that can’t be done whilst you are out of the office, ask colleagues to mark the email as a priority and with a subject title that grabs your attention. For example: URGENT ACTION REQUIRED, PLEASE CONTACT ME ON RETURN FROM YOUR HOLIDAY. This will help you identify the most important emails when you are back at your desk.

• Put on a detailed Out of Office with whom clients and colleagues can contact whilst you are away. Make sure you give the dates you are away and the telephone and email of whom is deputising for you. We would suggest adding an extra day to your departure and return dates so you have time to deal with last minute panics and settle back in without too much pressure.

• Don’t forget to update your work phone voicemail too otherwise your mobile will be ringing off the hook.

Whilst On Holiday

Switch off and enjoy yourself, you’ve worked hard and deserve this holiday. Most importantly refrain from checking your emails.

When You Are Back

Dont let your inbox get you down, it’s time to get organised.

• Search for URGENTACTION REQUIRED emails so that you can deal with these immediately.

• Read the most recent emails first as it is likely that the person(s) dealing with your emails will have dealt with your earlier emails.

• Categorise your emails into priority order, creating folders such as urgent, to be dealt with this week, actioned, to be read at a later date and delete/file any that are not necessary.

• Once you have scanned through your inbox, catch up with the person(s) who was covering your work whilst you were away. Ask them for a summary so you have a plan of action to work towards.

• Don’t forget to check your junk in case any emails have slipped through.

• Lastly, don’t be crushed by your large inbox - stick to the plan and deal with emails overtime to keep that post holiday glow.