Making Etiquette Easy: Spring Break

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Ahh... Spring Break. Many of us, at one time or another, have indulged in a festive vacation over what is known in the U.S. school-system as ‘Spring Break.’ And though we can have the best time of our lives and go completely hog-wild, there are unspoken rules for what’s okay to share and say before, during, and after our trips.

Here are a few tips that may help guide you through the Spring Break vacation season:

In Advance: Aside from requesting the vacation time well in advance (I suggest 2-3 months notice for week-long vacations), it's good to inform the key people that your absence will affect while gone. After the initial discussion, try not to continually bring up the topic of your vacation since not everyone is going to Cancun with you. And though challenging it may be, don’t mentally checkout before your actual vacation starts. (I know, this is a hard one.)

When you leave: Make sure you’ve tied up any loose ends before departing (i.e. delegate appropriate responsibilities, answer all pertinent emails and set up an away-reply email/voicemail, designate someone to be responsible for your clients (if needed), and then…. leave work at work. Try not to be one of those folks who ‘work’ on vacation. This is only fair to you and your family or those with whom you are traveling. And remember, if you do work while on vacation, you will more than likely regret it.

Afterwards: Of course you’ll want to share stories about your fabulous cabana and the impeccable wait-staff, but don't go into too many details. Designate some time to talk about the vacation over lunch with your coworkers and let them know that you first need to start catching up on work once back in the office. If you want to share photos, make sure you only bring appropriate photographs to the office (i.e. you in a bikini is probably not the most professional), and do not discuss anything that pertains to alcoholic or sexual encounters with anyone in your office - or on your social website postings.

Making Etiquette Easy,

Susan K. Medina