Managing Holidays with Your VA: The Guide To Keeping Things Flowing

Let’s talk holidays.

They’re supposed to be relaxing — a break, a recharge, a chance to ignore your inbox while sipping something cold. But when you run a business or support someone who does, taking time off often feels like a logistical nightmare. What happens to the work? Who’s picking up what? Is anyone actually allowed to switch off?

In one of our recent team calls, we dove head-first into the messy, brilliant, slightly chaotic reality of managing holidays in the VA world — from both sides of the fence.

Here’s what we uncovered.

When Clients Go Away: The "It'll Be Fine!" Trap

A lot of clients start with good intentions. They block out their holiday in the calendar. They vaguely mention they’ll be away. And then the madness kicks in 2 days before they go away.

“As soon as I see that diary block go in of ‘Client Away,’ I start the conversation straight away,” said Laura. “Because inevitably, things change six times before they even get on the plane.”

The truth is, holidays throw up two types of client energy:

• The ones who say, “Keep it all running while I’m gone.”

• And the ones who say, “Pause everything — I’ll deal with it when I’m back.”

Both can work — but only if expectations are clear.

The worst-case scenario? Somewhere in-between.

“I had a client who said they didn’t want to check emails on holiday and wanted me to manage their inbox,” said Nicola. “But they’d never delegated that before, and then they still logged in every day. I didn’t know what had been seen or responded to — it became messy and confusing.”

It’s not just the inbox drama either. There’s decision-making to think about. If you're away, are you handing over decision power to your VA? Or are you still the one signing everything off?

“If you still want to make decisions, that’s fine” said Jess, “just know that it means I may need to contact you while you’re on holiday. So… if you don’t want that, who’s the decision maker while you are away?”

Spoiler: the "do a bit of both" approach makes everything harder.

Projects: The Holiday Lifesaver

When in doubt — give your VA a project.

“My preference would be that while a client’s away, they give me a project,” said Jess. “That way I can still do my hours, I can own it completely, and I don’t need back-and-forth communication.”

Project work means:

• Less need for daily communication

• A clear task that can be fully owned

• No reliance on client decisions

Clients often think they’re doing their VA a favour by saying “It’s fine, take it easy,” but the reality is many of us are on retainer hours. If there’s no work, we still need to be paid — which can feel awkward.

“I’ve had clients who go on holiday and don’t give me any work, but I still have to bill them,” said Charlotte. “It doesn’t quite sit right, even though I’ve asked. They’re just in holiday mode and don’t want to think about it.”

Planning: Not Optional, Essential

There was a sigh across the team when the topic of last-minute delegation came up.

“Don’t give your VA a brand-new job — like managing your inbox — two days before you leave,” said Nicola. “They’ll have loads of questions and no time to learn the ropes.”

The solution? Book a prep session. Not as a nice-to-have, but as a non-negotiable part of your pre-holiday checklist.

“I try to have a planning session 2–3 weeks before they go,” said Jess. “It gives them enough headspace to actually engage — before they’re in full ‘out of office’ mode.”

When the VA Goes Away: Planning, Cover, and Bulking

On the flip side, when we go away, it also needs careful planning.

There are a few ways VAs handle their own time off:

• Bulk the hours before and after: front-load or back-load the work so hours are still covered

• Prep a client handover doc: what they’ll need to do in your absence

• Bring in another VA (rarely preferred for day to day, but sometimes necessary)

That said, holiday cover isn’t always effective.

“I once stepped in to cover for someone,” said Laura. “It was tough. I didn’t know the systems like she did, and I couldn’t deliver the same value. Honestly? Would not recommend.”

Especially with high-hour clients (10+ hours a week), a handover isn’t always realistic. That kind of embedded knowledge is hard to transfer. For smaller clients though, a light bit of cover might be possible — but it depends on the task and whether it’s truly time-sensitive.

How else can you get value whilst your VA is away?

Nicola made a really smart point about how clients can reframe their VA’s holiday as an opportunity, rather than a pause in progress. If your regular VA is away, it’s worth asking yourself: are there other skills I could tap into during this time?

Perhaps it’s the perfect window to bring in a Marketing VA to finally overhaul that dusty social media plan or get some fresh eyes on your content. Or maybe there’s a tech setup you’ve been putting off - a CRM tweak, a new workflow, or automation that a systems-savvy VA could handle.

The benefit? These types of project-based tasks can be progressed independently, without needing your input while you’re away. It keeps the business moving, uses your retainer hours effectively, and showcases the power of working with a broader team.

The Wrap-Up: Be Proactive, Be Clear, Be Kind

Whether you’re a VA or a business owner, holidays don’t need to cause panic.

Plan early. Have honest conversations. Write things down. And if all else fails, hand your VA a chunky project and go off-grid with confidence.

“40% of the work I do is stuff I’ve suggested,” said Jess. “So if you’re stuck, just ask us. We will find something to do.”

If you’ve built a relationship based on trust and communication, a week or two away shouldn’t feel risky — it should feel like a healthy, normal part of working life.

So book that break. Pack the SPF. And let’s make holiday planning just another smart system in your business.