# Transitioning Your Work ## expand\_more Transitioning from work to leave and then back to work can be eased by planning and preparation. In partnership with your manager, it is important to consider your job tasks and responsibilities and how these will be covered during your absence, if possible. Smooth transitions benefit everyone involved – you, your manager, and your colleagues. Depending on your particular situation, you may or may not be able to help your department prepare for your leave. Open all sections Close all sections ### Consider Your Work Responsibilities and Coverage expand\_more As far as possible before your leave, or at a time you and your manager agree upon, develop a list of what you do, including day-to-day responsibilities and tasks specific to current projects and those that you expect to arise during your leave. You may find this Work Responsibilities Coverage Form to be a helpful tool for you to summarize your job responsibilities that will require coverage. **1. Recurring Tasks** - List your recurring job tasks, including those you do daily, weekly, and/or monthly. - Think about how the tasks are accomplished now and how they will be accomplished while you are on leave. - Include small tasks that you may assume someone else will know to do – it’s better to be overly inclusive. - Consider potential challenges for colleagues, your team or department, your manager(s), and external contacts that may arise while you are on leave, and solutions to these potential challenges. - Check your calendar for the past few months and for the period last year that corresponds to your family or medical leave for reminders of tasks that may need to be addressed. - For a week or two, throughout your work day, check your list of tasks as you do them and add to it as necessary. **2. Project Work** - For each project, provide the information requested on the [Work Responsibilities Coverage Form](/file_url/444). - Think about how tasks are accomplished now and how they will be accomplished while you are on leave. - Consider potential challenges for colleagues, your team or department, your manager(s), and external contacts while you are on leave, and solutions to these potential challenges. - Be clear about what your role is and the expectations of the team for the person covering for you during your family or medical leave. Include timelines, deadlines, and descriptions of all aspects of project responsibilities. For both types of work – recurring and project work - jot down names of colleagues who might be approached to cover your work on each task. Consider your email, telephone, and other work communications, and how they will be covered. Will someone have access to your email or voice-mail while you are out of the office? If not, how often (if at all) will you check email and voice-mail? Should your mail be forwarded to someone for response? ### Meet With Your Manager expand\_more - Arrange a specific time to speak with your manager about coverage of your responsibilities during your upcoming family or medical leave. (Avoid only informal conversations about coverage of your job responsibilities). - Prepare for your meeting. You may want to use your completed Work Responsibilities Coverage Form as a starting point for your conversation. - Discuss current projects – status, expectations of developments during your leave, and what will be required of the person(s) covering for you. - Ask your manager about projects that may begin while you’re out. ### Connect with Colleagues Providing Coverage expand\_more - Include co-workers and contacts (internal and external to FAS), as well as managers in these meetings. - Please establish appropriate boundaries and let colleagues know that you will not be able to work while out on your continuous family or medical leave. - What should be done with your non-work related mail? Do you want it sent to your home, opened by someone else, or held for you until you return? ### Shortly Before Your Leave expand\_more - Update your outgoing voice-mail and activate your “out of office” email. - Be specific about whom to contact for what purpose or indicate the person who will address all issues that need immediate attention. In either case, include name, phone number and email address. ### Returning From Your Leave expand\_more For a medical leave for your own condition: - Once you are able to return to work, you will need to provide a completed [Return to Work form](https://hr.fas.harvard.edu/file_url/855) with any work restrictions or limitations noted (along with their duration) to the Leaves Office () at least two business days prior to your planned return date. - Please note that a return to work form is not required for employees returning from a family leave.