International Clientele Can Throw a Wrench in Your Holiday Plans

Are you planning on taking some time off this holiday season?

Are you sure?

If you have international clients, you’d better double check your deadlines.

According to a recent Businessweek story, workers with international clients are finding it increasingly difficult to rest on national or religious holidays.

Employees are now based around the world and may always be connected, so it’s no longer enough to juggle time zones; you have to juggle differing national and religious holidays, too. –Businessweek

A good example is Thanksgiving—a holiday that isn’t celebrated overseas. You can’t expect your client in Australia to know that the third Thursday in November is an American holiday. The same goes for Independence Day. In the U.S., it’s July 4^th. Canadian Independence Day is celebrated on July 1^st.

If you don’t want to be stuck in front of your computer during Holidays, Christmas, Easter, Yom Kippur, or Eid al-Adha, then you need to take action. Here are some tips.

• Communicate with your clients. If you don’t know what Eid al-Adha is, than you’re probably not Muslim. Let your clients know weeks in advance if you need time off for a religious holiday.
• Plan accordingly. Perhaps your job is one in where you can work ahead to ensure you have a few days off during the holidays. Don’t procrastinate. It’s still a good idea to let your clients know of an impending holiday where you would like to take time off so they don’t ask something of you at the last minute.
• Don’t take advantage. Many people don’t take time off during public holidays, like Columbus Day or Patriot’s Day in the U.S. And doesn’t England’s Early May Bank Holiday sound a bit suspicious? Many businesses call these “Floating Holidays” and allow their employees to pick one that they’d like to take off. I suggest doing the same for yourself.
• Take an overdue vacation. Everyone is entitled to some time off. We’re not robots! If your family is planning a two-week camping trip next summer, put it on your calendar and work around it. Don’t take on any new assignments that you can’t finish in time for your departure, and let your contacts know you will be out of touch. You don’t want to burn bridges with clients who can’t find you while you’re enjoying family time.

The point is that holidays are a time meant to be shared with your friends and family, not your computer. But in order to ensure your work slate is clean, you need to communicate early and often. And if something does pop up unexpectedly, you need to decide beforehand how to handle it.

If you tell your clients you will be available the week between Christmas and New Year’s, then you need to be available. If you don’t want to be bothered—then communicate that effectively.

You can enjoy the holidays this year without stressing out about work, if you plan ahead.