It’s that time of year again, when many of us eagerly anticipate our upcoming
main holiday! Whether you’re fortunate enough to be going away or simply
looking forward to time off at home, it’s easy to get carried-away with writing
your packing list, booking holiday excursions or purchasing barbeque supplies!
But have you taken care of organising your work handover before you leave?
While it’s enjoyable to focus on the fun aspects of preparing for your trip weeks
in advance, the daunting task of creating a work handover list is often relegated
to the bottom of the pile. That’s why we’ve created a basic dispensary handover
list that you can adapt to suit your specific dispensary or office situation:
- Two-three weeks’ before you leave, set yourself a time slot to plan out
your handover & prioritise what will need doing in your absence - Arrange a convenient time to hold a “handover meeting” with your
team and your supervisor the week before you go - Prepare progress reports on any ongoing projects to ensure that
everyone is up to date on the status of each project - Inform key supplier contacts of your upcoming absence and give
them the contact details of the person taking over your tasks - Try to schedule any automated orders, payment requests or
reminders where possible
- Check to see whether the Dispensary’s contact list and information
book needs updating. This contains things like supplier account numbers
& their contact details and community team details - Ensure your Practice team rotas are up-to-date and confirm who to
raise any issues or queries with in your absence - If you tend to assist a patient with additional needs more frequently
(as they always gravitate toward you), then let your colleagues know
of any extra steps you take, so the same level of service can continue
in your absence. - If you’re the one that always tops up the coffee pot and records the
fridge temperatures or if you regularly go above and beyond, let
your team know, as often these “little things” can easily be
overlooked by others - Leave your station tidy and leave out any paperwork or notes
for colleagues - Double check that everyone understands your hand-over notes to
ensure there are no gaps or misunderstandings
And finally, enjoy the moment when you set your “out of office” email! Happy Travels
