Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and for many people, that means finalizing vacation plans and preparing for long trips, whether by air, car, or even RV. Vacations can be incredibly fun and relaxing, but they can quickly turn sour if you are faced with an unexpected issue like word that your home was broken into, or a vehicle breakdown halfway to Thanksgiving lunch, or that your boss has a sudden emergency that you just HAVE to handle.
So what can you do to help your vacation plans turn out as planned?
Make A List, Check It Twice
Nothing is worse than getting a call that your home was broken into when you’re out of town, or even more unfortunate, coming home to find the evidence yourself. If possible, consider hiring a house-sitter when you’ll be away from home. Full time sitters will essentially live at your house while you’re away, while a part time sitter may just be hired to come a couple of times each day to check in, get your mail, etc. If you can’t afford a house-sitter, there are other things you can do to keep your home from becoming a “victim” of a break-in…
- Ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your home, and perhaps even collect your mail each day.
- Do a thorough check of all locks on your home, including on windows. Go around the outside of your home and attempt to open doors and windows from the outside, making sure they are secure.
- Consider leaving a light or two on inside of your home, in addition to any porch/patio lights. A well-lit home is one less-easily broken into.
- A radio left playing inside your can sound like people are present to a potential thief.
- If you keep any spare keys outside of your home for emergencies, make sure to take them with you when you go out of town.
Take Care of Your Car
Make sure your car is ready for any long trips ahead by having it serviced shortly before your journey. This includes having oil changed, tires rotated/checked, and perhaps even a tune-up if it’s been a while since your car got a “check up”. Having a break down part way through a road trip is a headache, and can turn expensive quickly.
The same idea is true for your RV or camper. Make sure they are in top condition before taking them on any long trips. Since they often serve as your means of transpiration AND a place to stay, you don’t want them to break down in the middle of nowhere!
Also, be sure to have your insurance company and/or your AAA membership info ready in case you do end up needing an emergency towing company or roadside assistance.
Thoroughly Check Your Time Card (and Give Your Boss a Friendly Reminder)
Even if you planned your vacation time months in advance, and talked to your boss about it at the time, it can be easy for your employer to forget about that, and if you don’t double check that time card before you head out of town, you could be looking at unpaid time (or worse, loss of your job!) when you get back. Make sure your hours are accurately planned for before you hit the road, and if you really want to cover your bases, have a conversation with your boss during your last day on the job before the Thanksgiving holiday to make sure he or she is aware you won’t be in for X number of days, and that you have taken care of arranging a sub or working ahead to cover things while you’re gone. This means you’ll be able to relax knowing that your job is secure while you’re enjoying time away.
We hope you will consider these tips when you are putting together last minute details for your Thanksgiving travels. If you’re planning on spending part of your holiday continuing your job search, why don’t you let us help you with that too? We can manage your job hunt while you take time to enjoy what matters this holiday season. Finding employment shouldn’t steal the joy out of the season, and with PHR it won’t. We’ll make sure you are getting the best available job opportunities with the least amount of stress. Give us a call to get started or apply online!