Holiday help! How to ask for days off.
Flying home for some Thanksgiving turkey? Got to visit the inlaws (again!) for Christmas? Sometimes it's warranted to worry about asking for time off from work -- if it's a busy time, your help will be missed. But sometimes, a girl (or guy) just needs some time off. Following a few of these hints will help your out-of-the-office request go smoothly.
Ask ASAP
Ask for the time as soon as you know you're going to need it. You might be nervous and want some time to formulate how you're going to put something, but never think that it's a better route to blindside your boss with plans you've already made. In all probability, if you give your boss enough time to make arrangements for your absence, he or she will have no problems with your planned vacation.
Keep in Touch
Promise your boss that you will be in touch and reachable during your vacation -- and really mean it. If you know you're going on a camping trip, then don't make that promise. It may be tempting to make a promise to ease into the request, but if you can't follow through, you're going to end up looking bad.
You in Training
Make sure a co-worker knows how to do the most vital of your daily tasks. Not your entire job -- or else your vacation might be a permanent one -- but just little tasks that absolutely must be done. This way, you can say something like, "Also, Jane has a working knowledge of checking that data should an emergency arrive." That way, you'll still be missed ... but your boss won't go into a full-blown panic attack at the mere thought of you hopping a holiday flight.
