Time off works when the organization can continue without expecting the absent person to remain its hidden help desk.
Map the decisions that cannot wait
Before leave, list the small number of issues that truly need a decision during the absence. Give each an acting owner, the current document link and the condition that triggers escalation. Separate normal work that can wait. If every item is labelled urgent, the coverage plan has not made a choice.
Transfer access and context safely
Check that the cover person has the permissions and knowledge required to act. Do not share passwords in a handoff note or route private information to a personal account. Record what was already decided, what is still open and how to correct an error. Tell customers or collaborators whom to contact, rather than asking them to guess when the original owner will answer.
Make the return manageable
Let the cover person leave a short decision log and mark unresolved items. Reserve a reasonable review window on return rather than booking every hour with meetings. Review one surprise afterward and improve the handoff template. Leave entitlements and pay rules vary by jurisdiction and contract; consult the applicable policy instead of using a generic web article as legal guidance.
Try it in a real workweek
A project lead takes a week off. The deputy can approve routine copy changes, while a pricing decision goes to a named director. A single page lists the current launch draft and open questions. The returning lead reads a dated decision log instead of hundreds of messages.
Coverage is a staffing and ownership decision. A plan that requires the person on leave to monitor messages is not a genuine handoff.
Check the source and the context
For the next step, see this related field guide.