Thanks For Covering For Me…
Modern Manners Guy shares some small ways to show a big thank you to coworkers who covered for you.
Richie Frieman
At work, where working in a team is usually the way of life, it’s always good to know that when you are out on vacation or sick, you have a reliable person to cover for you. No matter who that backup is, you are required to show your appreciation for their time and effort while you’re away. A thank you gift is in order. In this case of gift giving, don’t feel like you need to hunt down the greatest present in the world for someone who answered your email while you took a three-day weekend. However, there are some small ways to show a big thank you.
Here’s how to decide on the perfect thank you gift:
1. How much work did they do? Before you leave for vacation, it’s always best to tie up as many loose ends as possible. Don’t leave a tremendous amount of work hanging around for others to clean up for you. They have to deal with your work, plus their own, which in both cases can really pile up. So before you return, check in to see how they are doing and how covering for you affected their work life. If they went far beyond your expectations, you should buy a gift that really shows your appreciation. For example, taking them out to a nice lunch is a great way to say “thank you.” Once when I covered for a colleague, she surprised me with a bag of Kona coffee from her trip to Hawaii. Knowing how much I love coffee, she got me a gift that wasn’t super expensive, but was incredibly thoughtful. If your backup only had to do an hour or two extra work during your absence, then a simple card to show your gratitude is enough.
See also: Can Green Coffee Help You Lose Weight?
2. How well do you know them? Last year when I went on vacation for a week, I had a backup with whom I was unfamiliar. He had just started at the company and I only met him after my boss told me that he would be lending a hand during the week I was away. He did a great job covering for me, which I appreciated, however, when it came to thanking him, I didn’t want to give him a souvenir from my vacation because we weren’t that tight. So if you don’t know the person covering for you too well, your “thank you” can’t be so personal either. Treat them to a cup of coffee, or a muffin, and use that time to get to know them better. And of course, offer to return the favor the next time they’re on vacation.
3. Was it a group effort? The best backup is a team, not a single person. Oftentimes, your job will be distributed among multiple people who divide the work accordingly while you’re away. When the team does a bang up job, you want to be sure that everyone knows you appreciated their time. For this, I recommend bringing in bagels, donuts, or another treat for breakfast on the day you get back to work. Like I said earlier, it doesn’t have to be too personal or expensive to be meaningful.
In many cases, colleagues won’t expect a gift for helping you out – since it’s part of the job. But that doesn’t mean you can’t surprise them with your gratitude. After all, a workplace is a “what goes around, comes around” environment and you want to take care of people that mean something to you.
Do you have a great story about office backups? Post all the details in the comment section below or on the Modern Manners Guy Facebook page.
As always, if you have another manners question, I look forward to hearing from you at manners@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Follow me on Twitter @MannersQDT, and of course, check back next week for more Modern Manners Guy tips for a more polite life.
Thank Youopens IMAGE file photo from Shutterstock.
