Thanks for the great guidelines! With regard to taking a vacation during the year, how do you handle that with your clients?

Thanks for sharing your policies! I will definitely take weekends off, unless I have a specific rush request and all the 'regular' holidays. I will address anything additional when the time comes and when I actually have clients!

Holly

This has been a really great thread to read, thank you to everyone for sharing. When I formally launch, I am not sure how much of a hoilday's policy I will have in place, but this has certainly given me something to think about.

Hi Andrea,
Thanks for asking that question. I am currently working on opening my VA business and was searching for how other VAs worked during the holidays. This post answered my question very well!

I think we are all pretty typical. My clients know that my family comes first, that's what they like about me (or so I'm told). Major holidays off - Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. I also take a week in the summer and do bring my cell & Laptop. Most times I check in to be sure there is no real crisis, although I enjoy tent camping in the mountains, I'll venture into town and find a wireless hotspot. Clients always tell me that I'm on vacation and everything will be there when I get back.

I usually send out reminders 2 weeks in advance to clients letting them know that I won't be available during certain days leading up to or after a holiday in addition to the holiday. For instance, I'm a Christmas baby so that means that Dec 23rd thru Dec 28th I'm unavailable because it's vacation for me every year. I usually work all other holidays (part-time hours) other than New Year's Eve, Easter and Thanksgiving.

I don't mind working the way I do because I love what I do given that it allows me to go wherever I want to go and still do business. Just some holidays I have to be off completely.

I have pretty typical American holidays off. I basically formatted it after what my husband has off so we've got that long weekend for family time. I've got Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving and then for Christmas I have the 23rd-26th off.

I also state in my contract that my office is closed at those times as well as any vacation time I have lined up. I currently have listed my October vacation as well as a week off for IVAA Live in April. I feel being upfront about it works best.

I let my clients know that I am not available by phone. I am not checking my email regularly so do not expect me to be a quick responder,

I also think it's a really good idea to let your clients know -- whether holiday time, etc. -- if you are not going to be available either by phone or email. In my experience I have not had to work with clients over holidays, with the exception of 'overflow' transcription work I take on now and then for other transcribers or for transcription companies.

It's a good idea also to ask one or two VAs who you know and trust if they would be willing to back you up should you need to take a few days off or in a time of an emergency -- just in case you have a client who needs and/or depends entirely on you to manage his/her business.

I usually give two months' notice if I'm taking time off. My usual time off is Christmas, which tends to be fairly quiet workwise anyway. At the moment I work all other public holidays.

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