Now that the back-to-work blues are finally beginning to wear off, everyone has an eye on booking that first holiday of the year. This, combined with the occasional days off, plus maternity and paternity leave means there are always gaps in the workforce to cover no matter what time of the year it is.
And whilst those well-deserved breaks on beaches, or in the new nursery mean a great work/life balance, they do have the potential to skew your incoming calls. The baby may need holding for 30 minutes, but calls from customers certainly don’t.
It’s goods news then that with today’s communication tools, there’s no need to throw all of the toys out of the pram just yet.
When staff are on short-term leave, important calls can either be directed to available colleagues or diverted straight to voicemail.
If the break is prolonged, calls can be forwarded to colleagues and a greeting message can be recorded and sent out to key contacts. If the call is vital, you can ensure they reach you or a staff member by diverting to a mobile device.
If the pitter-patter of tiny feet, or just sand between the toes becomes all too distracting, and someone forgets to change their handling rules before leaving the office, they can still do it anywhere in the world or have an administrator do it for them, leaving no call unanswered.
Taking a break from work is vital to a well-managed office and a healthy work staff, just as long as your communications don’t go on leave too.
Originally published Jan 29, 2016, updated Aug 12, 2020
