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Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Time Off Coverage Plan

Required for any time off longer than 2 consecutive days. The goal: business continuity, client satisfaction, and a team that isn't scrambling while you're away.

Coverage is your responsibility, not your manager's

Your manager's role is to review and confirm — not to redistribute your work. Have full coverage locked in before the manager review meeting.

Step 1 — Send Notifications

Notify your manager & team

Follow the Time Off Policy process:

Length of leave Minimum notice
1 day or less 7 days in advance
More than 1 day 30 days in advance
More than 1 week 60 days in advance

Fill out the Time Off Request Form.

In an emergency, give notice as soon as possible — Tierra aims to be flexible.

Once approved, add your time off to:

  • Tierra OOO / Holidays Calendar — see Google Calendar for setup
  • Your personal Tierra Google Calendar — prevents meetings from being scheduled during your leave; Slack auto-syncs OOO status from this calendar

Notify your clients

  • Inform clients at least 5 business days before your time off begins
  • Tell them who's covering and how to reach them

Client notification template

Hi [CLIENT NAME],

I wanted to let you know that I'll be out of office from [START DATE] through [END DATE]. During that time, [NAME + ROLE] will be covering my responsibilities and is fully briefed on all active priorities.

You can reach them at [EMAIL ADDRESS] or @[SLACK HANDLE] on Slack for any urgent needs or updates while I'm away.

I'll be back online on [RETURN DATE] and will catch up promptly upon my return.

Thank you, [YOUR NAME]

Step 2 — Build the Coverage Plan

Deadline: at least 1 week before your time off begins.

Make a copy of the Tierra Time Off Coverage Plan Template and set sharing so anyone at Tierra can view it.

The plan should include:

  • All active clients, projects, and deliverables
  • Which team members are covering each responsibility
  • Status of all key tasks, deadlines, and handoff notes
  • Links to necessary files, dashboards, or Slack threads

Step 3 — Brief Your Coverage Team

Deadline: at least 3 business days before your time off begins.

It's your responsibility to:

  • Identify the appropriate team members to take over each responsibility
  • Meet with them to walk through the coverage plan and train them if needed
  • Confirm their understanding and agreement to handle the work
  • Update any Monday tasks/boards to reflect coverage assignments

Creating a document and walking away is not enough

You must proactively hand off work — no tasks fall through the cracks. Time off requires ownership.

Step 4 — Out Of Office Message & Status

Gmail auto-reply

Set this before your time off begins.

OOO auto-reply template

Subject: Out of Office: [YOUR NAME]

Hi there,

I'm currently out of the office from [START DATE] through [END DATE] and will return on [RETURN DATE].

For urgent matters, please contact [NAME + ROLE] at [EMAIL ADDRESS] or @[SLACK HANDLE] on Slack. They are covering my responsibilities while I'm away.

Thank you for your understanding, [YOUR NAME] [TIERRA EMAIL SIGNATURE]

See Email Signature for your signature.

Slack status

Either:

  • Manual: Set Slack status to OOO, set "Remove status after" to your return date. Optionally pause notifications.
  • Automatic (preferred): Sync Slack to your Google Calendar and set your personal Tierra Calendar to OOO during your leave — Slack handles the rest.

Step 5 — Manager Review

Deadline: at least 2 business days before your time off begins.

Meet with your manager to:

  • Walk through the coverage plan and show how every responsibility has been delegated
  • Confirm all coverage contacts are briefed
  • Ensure your manager is confident all active work is handled

Timeline Summary

Milestone When
Notify manager + team 7 / 30 / 60 days in advance (based on length)
Notify clients At least 5 business days before
Coverage plan drafted At least 1 week before
Coverage team briefed At least 3 business days before
Manager review At least 2 business days before
OOO message + Slack status set Before your last working day