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Leave transition plan template
Leave transition plan template

A template for you and your manager to navigate your transition out from work and then back from leave

Cocoon Support avatar
Written by Cocoon Support
Updated over a year ago

Leave Plan for [Name]

This leave plan is intended to be a collaborative document where you and your manager can work together to ensure a smooth transition into your leave, and when you return to work.

Throughout this document, there will be a series of discussion points, and prompts to write decisions down. You may want to fill this out on your own and then set up some time with your manager to talk it out, or you may want to approach this together and make time to work through it side-by-side.

As time progresses, it’s incredibly likely that some of the decisions and preferences you had will need to be revisited - that’s OK! It’s important for both of you to remain flexible, and be communicative with any changing priorities or circumstances.

Work through these questions as accurately as you can; knowing that some details will likely change over the coming days, weeks, and months.

Leave Dates:

  • What are the current dates I’m planning on taking leave?

  • What circumstances might arise that would change these dates?

  • If my return-to-work date will change, what is my responsibility in communicating these changes?

  • When do I want to start handing over responsibilities and clearing my calendar?

  • If my leave begins earlier than anticipated, how will we ensure a smooth transition?

  • If my leave begins later than anticipated, what are my work responsibilities?

Responsibilities:

  • What are my current responsibilities? Do I have any reports? Am I leading any projects?

  • What work is vital to the business continuing, and needs to be taken on by others? Who should those people be?

  • Is there any work that cannot be supported by the team, and may need a contractor or outside help for?

  • What work is important to me, but may be OK to put on hold while I’m on leave?

  • How much capacity does my manager have? If my manager is taking anything over - such as ongoing projects or additional reports - how might we expect that to look?

Projects:

For each project or body of work I’m handing over:

Employee:

  • What is a description of the project?

  • What needs to happen while I’m on leave?

    • Must happen

    • Should happen

    • Nice to have

  • Who are my collaborators? Stakeholders?

  • Who is the point of contact for any inquiries while I’m on leave?

Manager:

  • Who are we handing responsibilities over to?

    • How will this be communicated?

    • What does a successful handover look like?

  • What team or company goals might this impact?

Pay and Benefits:

Are there any variable compensation considerations we need to address? Bonuses?

Software licensing and tools access:

Will I need to hand over any licenses or turn off any subscriptions while I’m away?

Will we need to recredential me when I return?

Return to Work:

What does success look like?

  • On the first day?

  • One week in?

  • One month?

  • Three months?

What meetings should I be having?

  • On the first day?

  • One week in?

  • One month?

  • Three months?

Knowing that things are likely to change - when I need to update my manager on any return-to-work plans, what’s the best way to do that?

Manager support

What is the best way for my manager to support me right now?

  • As we get closer to leave?

  • While on leave?

  • When I return?

Contact cadence and preferences

It is incredibly normal - and even encouraged - to completely unplug from work while you are on leave.

However, if there are certain things you’d like to keep up with while you’re gone, here’s where you can think about your preferences for what sort of news you'd want, when in your leave you’d like to hear about it, and what method you’d most prefer to be contacted in.

What information do you want to hear about while you are on leave?

  • Nothing

  • New and departed team members

  • New and departed clients

  • Changes in my team structure and/or manager

  • Major company policy changes and/or reorgs

  • Time-sensitive deadlines to apply for benefits

  • Plans for my reentry into my role

  • Changes to my role or responsibilities

  • Opportunities for promotion

  • Other:

How would you prefer to have this information shared with you?

  • By email

  • By text

  • By phone call / voice mail

  • By meeting (scheduled via email)

  • In the shared Google document

  • Other:

During which period(s) of your leave are you comfortable being contacted? (select all that apply)

  • First third of my leave

  • Middle third of my leave

  • Final third of my leave

  • Other:

With what level of frequency are you comfortable being contacted (within the parameters of what you selected above)?

  • Never

  • Once during entire leave

  • Twice during entire leave

  • Three times during entire leave

  • Maximum once every two months

  • Maximum once a month

  • Other:

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