xp: Office Policy

vigurl · March 2012

What is your office policy to back up the work of a person who is out of the office? When does that policy begin? After they are out 1 day, 3 days? 1 week?

ETA: Is there a buddy system? Are assigned to back up a specific person?

Cooper81 · March 2012

There isn't really a back up plan. I have the ability to remotely access my computer, so if needed I can work from home. I also have a BB that is attached to me 24/7, so if it is something I cannot do, I have my boss, his second in command and co-workers that I can turn to if it is an emergency.

seahorse102410 · March 2012

We back each other up at all times. If she goes to lunch even I am her backup. Barring major unforseen circumstances we are never out at the same time.

NicoleD0516 · March 2012

We don't have a set policy. I have remote access from home if I need to work at home. If I'm on vacation, my supervising attorney and the other paralegal typically pickup anything that can't wait until I return.

mairanellis · March 2012

We don't have a company "policy". However, I manage my department and if I am out for 1 or more days, I delegate my work to my department. If someone from my team is going to be out 1 or more days, I delegate their work to the others or do it myself.

bumpuser511563 · March 2012

We use to have two administrative assistants and they would back each other up, but they laid off one. Now we just have one and I back her up even though I am not an administrative assistant.

I cover for her because I am the only one that is in the office at all times except to go across the street once a week for 30 minutes.

I also cover for two other program specialist and my boss because they travel out of town 1-2 hours away to help students 2 times a week.

To back me up for any reason would be two other program specialists and my boss. They are all capable of my work and do the exact same thing that I do. My boss has scheduled us so there would be 2 of us in the office for each day.

itsmevkb · March 2012

We work in teams of four and so each team is responsible for backing up the others on the same team and we're never all allowed to be off at the same time. Quite a bit of our work is time sensitive and needs to be done within 24 hours so if someone is even out for just one day someone else needs to cover their work.

Jenny952 · March 2012

In my current job I use my boss as my back-up if I'm out of the office more than 2 days. It's just her and I in our department, and we usually know what is going on wiht each other's stuff. If either of us is out for a week vacation, then we go over things in greater detail so the other knows what's going on and can step in.

In my old job, if you were gone more than 4 hours (like taking a 1/2 day), then we were required to have a back-up, which meant setting out of office on our phones, emails and writing on our white board where we were and who specifically could handle anything. In that situation, I would go over with my back-up specific details about what was going on and who might be calling. That job was much higher demand and required almost immediate response to customers vs. my current job where things can usually wait until I'm back.

mlwooten · March 2012

My boss backs me up.

mae0111 · March 2012

I manage a smallish department (10 ppl) and my policy is that if you're out, it's your responsibility to find someone to back you up for your day-to-day stuff. It's your responsibility to ensure that people know what to do and how to do it. If everyone wants to be out at the same time, try to work it out. I even went so far as to say that no one could have the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Day after Christmas all off (when I only had 3 direct reports) so that no one would get stuck working all 3 if they didn't want to.

I kind of delegate on the fly when I'm out. Long term projects - I just let the project team know that I'll be out, and will pick up my stuff when I'm back. Fire drills - I manage from my BB and delegate where possible, or take care of things myself.

I can't remember the last time I took a vacation day without working for part of it. Oh well...

QueSrah · March 2012

I'm the only one in my group with my job function, so I have only had a backup plan in place for my maternity leave. When I'm out for a day or two weeks, I just catch up as best I can when I return. Most of my work overlaps with one attorney I support, so he takes on a *little* bit extra. Not much, though.

rubber_chicken · March 2012

I kind of work in technical support, and am assigned to specific teams. When I'm out, I have assigned backups for each of my teams. The nature of my work requires it - requests need to be turned around same day.

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