Owner: Hallie Greenberg
Updated: 11/19/24
SOP: linked here
In general, please be cognizant of the following parameters when planning OOO:
2 weeks notice is required for 1-4 business days of UTO
2 months notice required for 1 week (5 business days) of UTO
At least 4 months notice is required for 2+ weeks (10 business days+) of UTO*
We try to limit the number of people from the same account team OOO at the same time, but understand that things come up. If you see that your OOO conflicts with another team member’s OOO on the same account(s), please flag to your AM/ADs when sharing your request for PTO and discuss coverage needed/solutions immediately & proactively.
*For extended leave, please speak to department leadership directly.
All additional requests, however, will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
REQUESTING YOUR PTO - PROCESS
Step One: Define your dates + check the PDM OOO Calendar & Master PR/Aff Department OOO Sheet to confirm that no team members (who you work with on accounts) are confirmed to be OOO during those dates. In addition, review your brands’ timelines + PR Plans to confirm that no major launches are happening during that time.
If team members are not OOO/you do not have a brand launch, move on to Step Two.
If team members are OOO, make sure to include this information in the below Slack in Step Two.
Step Two: Add your dates to the Master PR/Aff Department OOO Sheet. Follow the instructions within the sheet for formatting.
Step Three: Slack your manager + ADs (or PR lead if cross channel) that you work with and request the PTO. Include dates you are requesting + if any other team members will be OOO during these dates (and if so, what your plan is for coverage). Once approved by all parties, move on to step three.
Step Four: Request your PTO through ADP. Add in notes to outline what the PTO is for (if comfortable sharing — not mandatory).
Step Five: Wait for your manager to approve/deny.
Step Six: Once approved, add your dates to the following locations:
PDM OOO Calendar
Personal calendar
Master PR/Aff Dept. OOO sheet (update the colors/formatting accordingly)
All account deliverables grids/sheets for AM visibility
Step Seven: The week of your PTO, remind your teams via a quick Slack the dates you will be OOO.
If your PTO is 5 days or more, send your teams a reminder two weeks in advance, and then again the week before.
Step Eight: Create your OOO plan (see best practices below), and ask a team member (who is on the most accounts with you, or your manager) to be your OOO contact.
Step Nine: Set up OOO on Gmail.
Step Ten: Change Slack name to NAME - OOO DATES as another layer of notification for team members trying to reach you while you are out
*If you are asking for more than 2 weeks off, please first go to Hallie Greenberg & Lauren Flanagan for approval before sending the request to your ADs.
OOO Plans
For UTO of 1-2 days, a formal OOO plan is not required but encouraged. You MUST alert the department, your manager, and all account teams of your absence and confirm any coverage, if needed, is in place in writing.
UTO of 3+ days does require a formal OOO Plan
All OOO Plans MUST include:
Contact Info for Emergencies
Account Team (AM + AD)
Current Workflow Status (production, status of approvals, etc.)
Call Coverage (purpose, preparation, etc.)
(Most cases do not require someone stepping in to cover that is not on the account team. Please talk to your manager/account leads like AM/AD if support needed here)
Resources (folder links, passwords, calendar links, etc.)
Action Items / Coverage Needed (sending deliverables, weekly updates, weekly reporting, etc.)
Include step-by-step process if specific or unique
The gold standard ⭐Ashley LaBrune’s OOO Plan ⭐
Rule of Thumb
Your coverage shouldn’t have to do your work unless planned well ahead of time and confirmed by all parties. Ideally, your coverage is there to just block & tackle any one-off needs.
PR/Aff Example: If I am going out of the office for the first week of the month, my MPU slides should be complete (or as complete as possible if waiting on data that is only available at EOM).
OR
If there is a PR Plan Presentation while I’m OOO, I will make sure all of my slides are complete and the person presenting my slides has all of the color/context necessary to speak to it confidently.
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Please submit all holiday requests no later than September 15, 2024. We understand that some plans change and can be last-minute, but this will help us assess what level of coverage is needed and possible. We can assess any last-minute requests on a case-by-case basis.
Please highlight the day you are requesting off in orange with the date you submitted your request in the cell.
PR/Affiliate Team Leadership will use this information to assess OOO requests; “first-come, first-serve” is a factor, but not the only one.
If you have any additional context for your travel, feel free to leave a note in the sheet or tap department leadership directly!
As a general rule of thumb, we will need at least 2 people on each account team available during the holidays to support coverage and workflow (Foundational accounts TBD on case by case basis).
Approvals will be noted in the sheet by October 1, 2024.
Things You Should Consider:
Amount of time you’ve taken off this year and the coverage that was needed.
Holiday weeks, specifically Christmas through New Year's, are a historically slow time of year for our channels. Being “online” can be a relaxed workflow and we empower moving calls to allow for more flexibility.
FAQS:
I thought I had unlimited PTO, why is that being limited for the holidays?
One of the key benefits offered at Power Digital is unlimited time off, and that is not going away! As our team grows, as well as our client roster, we must have more structure around OOO planning and coverage during this time of year. We can’t leave 1 person as the main point of contact for all client comms on their teams.
What does “OFF but Available” mean?
This means that while you are offline on the calendar, you are open to fielding comms on email/slack, and can hop on for one-off needs for your clients. We appreciate this level of flexibility and it allows for more of the team to enjoy some time off knowing that A-Z client coverage might not be needed.
This option is perfect for those of us just staying “cozy” at home during the holiday week but aren’t traveling or have big plans.