Working as a contractor offers a great deal of flexibility when it comes to a work-life balance as you can pick and choose when you would like to work and which projects you would like to work on as well.

With the added benefits of being able to not only take on projects most suited to your skillset and preference but there is also a certain amount of consideration that needs to take place when thinking about taking some time off for yourself.

Managing your workload on holiday can be a daunting task to face as a contractor, however, there are ways that you can alleviate the pressure.

With the help of the feedback of the contractors that we have worked with, we have put together our top tips to enjoy your holiday and stay on track with your workload.

Unless the contract is for a very short period of time – for instance, one month or shorter – the client will expect you to take some time off. 

Nevertheless, it causes less stress for both you and the client if these things are decided as early as possible in the negotiations process.

For this reason, you may want to take a holiday in between jobs to not inconvenience the client or cause the assignment to run longer than the client expected it to.

Within a project-focused contract, it is quite rare that you will be expected to work every single day.

There may be, and usually is, quiet days within your contract and you may be granted ad-hoc days of holiday on short-term notice.

If this is the case, you will typically not be given/it is not recommended to take more than two weeks’ worth of holiday.

Planning your ‘holiday season’ in advance will help you tremendously with being able to manage your workload and allow you to prioritise your task list before you take any time off.

Creating a to-do list that priortises your critical deadlines and high-priority tasks enables you to tackle the most important tasks first.

Working with your client to create a list of all the most important deadlines within your project will benefit both parties, the client will feel as though you are passionate about completing the project to the highest standard possible and providing a more efficient process for the job at hand, and you will be able to complete the larger/more important tasks first allowing you to work your holiday schedule in without affecting your relationship with your client as well.

Even though you are on holiday, you must keep in mind that the client that you are working with will want to maximise your availability and skillset whilst the project is being completed.

If you’re working as more of a project-lead or managing other contractors, you may want to hold a meeting with your team before you leave so that everyone knows what their objectives are.

Not only will holding this meeting keep everyone on track, but this will also make your life a lot easier when you return from holiday as you can jump back into the project based on the objectives that had been set previously.

Whether you’re a project lead or are working within a small team of contractors, opening up a line of communication with your team will also open up the possibility of delegating tasks as well.

If you are looking to take a week off as a holiday while working on a project, there will be a major emphasis on having all tasks completed within your contracted time frame regardless of how many days per week you actually work.

When working on a project-orientated contract, you will be working in a team of other professionals with the same aim as you… to finish the project at hand.

If you prioritise your more important tasks and complete these before leaving on holiday, then you will be able to break down the remaining tasks into more manageable chunks for others to complete without a major disruption in their work as well.

If you’re not a project lead/manager, then you should discuss the delegation of tasks and the plan to manage your workload with the client and how this logistically works as well (who will take over from you, how will the team communicate, which task has been delegated to which team member, etc.).

If your contract is more of a Business As Usual (BAU) situation where you are assisting with the daily operations of a business as opposed to a specific project, then you will want to speak to your client before taking any holiday time off.

Companies who are wanting to take on a contractor to help carry out their daily tasks are usually covering a missing employee. 

This usually means that taking days off as a holiday is going to need a strong line of communication with your client.

Discussing this beforehand and liaising with the Umbrella Company that you may be working for or your IT recruiter would also be advantageous as well.

Staying in contact with your client, even on holiday, is a great way to impress the client that you are working with and ensure that you are in the loop with all goings-on when you return.

When working as a contractor, it is important to know where the current project is at all times in regards to how it is progressing.

Whether you are using a team communication software such as Slack or Microsoft Teams, for example, checking in on any requests/updates at the beginning and end of each day will allow for you to keep on track with the project you are working on.

If you’re looking to take days off on holiday whilst working on a temporary contract, you can definitely do so without having to compromise your ability to complete your work as part of your contract.

Ensuring that you have all your priorities and deadlines agreed upon and organised with accurate (or as accurate as you can reasonably achieve) time scales is a major aspect of being able to manage your workload whilst on holiday.

Preparing for your holiday in advance and having your main tasks completed first will allow for you to either delegate your tasks later down the line or leave yourself in a situation where you have created a certain amount of free time in order to take days off as a holiday.

If you’re looking to show your commitment to the project and the client for the chance to gain future recommendations/contract renewals, it may even be worth offering to set up or suggesting that a line of communication between the team of contractors comes into effect.

If you are looking for an IT contracting position or would like to find out how an IT recruitment agency can help you find a new role, you can contact one of our experienced team members for more information on 01908 690 000 / cvs@lucid-support.com

Written by Lucid Support