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Updated September 2026: in 2019, on vacation, I heard on a morning call that a delivery lead wanted the deck finalised and completely revamped that day. I waited for my manager to ask me to work, but for 45 minutes he did not call. When I phoned him, he shared my frustration with the demand and did not ask me to work. I have rewritten it into advice on handling a sudden deadline while you are on leave.

After the call, I expected my manager to ask me to step in, even though I was on vacation. Nothing happened for the best part of an hour. Curious, I called him and explained that the delivery lead wanted a finished, revamped deck without any new information from the offshore partner. He said he was as frustrated as I was by the expectation.

Should you contact your manager while on leave?

Only when you have information they need. In my case, I knew the history behind the demand, which helped my manager respond. A short call to share context is reasonable; offering to do the work is a separate decision you do not have to make.

What does a manager's silence usually mean?

Often that they are handling it without you, which is what approved leave should mean. It is tempting to read silence as a coming request. It is more often your manager protecting your time.

How should unrealistic same-day demands be handled?

• State what is missing: the inputs needed to finalise.
• Propose what can be delivered today and what needs more time.
• Agree a realistic date with the person who owns the client relationship.

What if you are asked to work after all?

Ask for a limited, specific task and a clear end time, and ask for the time back afterwards. Work done on leave should be the exception, and recorded as such.

How do you enjoy the rest of your leave?

Once you have shared what your manager needs, step away. Turn off work notifications, and trust the handover. Checking in repeatedly makes it harder for others to take ownership.

What did I learn?

That sharing context helped my manager push back, and that I did not need to offer to work to be useful. A five-minute call was enough.

Keep reading

• Handing Over Before Leave When Stakeholders Are Silent
• Asked for Overnight Changes After a Client Call?
• Your Weekend Work Was Called Irrelevant? Respond Calmly

Updated September 2026: in July 2019 we addressed only some of an offshore lead's comments before a call, and the onsite team said several were irrelevant. The call went smoothly, yet it was escalated to my manager afterwards. I have rewritten it into advice on handling review comments the client-facing team considers irrelevant.

The offshore delivery contact and I worked hard on the offshore lead's comments before the scheduled call, but addressed only some. On the call, I walked the onsite team through the updates and the outstanding comments, asking for help. They said several were irrelevant and they would handle a few themselves. The call went well. Afterwards, the matter was escalated to my manager anyway.

What should you do when a comment conflicts with the client-facing team's view?

Raise it openly, as I did, and let the onsite team decide. They present the work and know the customer. Record their decision, with the reason, so the person who made the comment can see why it was not applied.

How do you close the loop with the reviewer?

• Send them the list of their comments with the status of each.
• For each not applied, note that the onsite team decided and why.
• Offer a short call if they want to discuss.

This is the step I would add. An escalation often happens because the reviewer never heard what became of their comments.

Why do calls that go smoothly still get escalated?

Because the person who escalates was not on the call, or felt overruled on it. From their side, the comments were ignored. Closing the loop in writing, on the same day, removes most of that risk.

How do you respond to the escalation?

Share the comment list, the onsite team's decisions and the date of the call with your manager. Factual evidence usually settles it quickly.

Should you still address comments you disagree with?

Not if the client-facing team has decided against them. Applying them anyway wastes time and can confuse the customer message. It is enough to show that they were considered and why they were set aside.

How do you prevent it next time?

Agree at the start that the onsite team has the final say on customer-facing content, and share comment statuses after every review. Clear decision rights stop reviewers from feeling bypassed.

Keep reading

• Why One Clear Task List From Onsite Cuts Rework
• Your Weekend Work Was Called Irrelevant? Respond Calmly
• The Team Wants a New Approach Days Before the Deadline

Updated September 2026: in May 2019, while waiting anxiously for my rating, a former teammate kept asking what my rating and manager's comments were, before I had heard anything myself. I have rewritten it into advice on handling the wait for your rating and the colleagues who ask about it.

I was confident I would not get the lowest rating, but the outcome depended on my manager and on feedback from colleagues in other locations. While I waited, an old teammate who had moved teams messaged to ask my rating and the manager's comments. I told him I did not know yet. He kept asking.

Why does waiting for a rating feel so stressful?

Because it affects pay and promotion, and you have little control once the process starts. Ratings are also often relative within a team, so they can feel like a judgement against colleagues rather than a measure of your own year.

How do you handle colleagues asking about your rating?

• Say plainly that you have not heard yet.
• Decide in advance whether you will share it once you know.
• Avoid asking others for theirs, which puts them in the same position.

Former teammates often ask out of genuine interest, but it is fine to keep your rating private.

What can you do while you wait?

Very little changes the outcome at this stage, so focus on work. If you want to prepare, write down questions for your appraisal conversation: what went well, what could be better and what you need to reach the next level.

Where does multi-location feedback come in?

In many IT services companies, managers collect input from onsite leads and colleagues in other locations. That is why good relationships with stakeholders beyond your immediate manager matter. Their feedback can make a real difference.

Does asking your manager early help?

Asking when ratings will be shared is reasonable. Pressing for the result before it is final rarely helps and can put your manager in an awkward spot.

What should you do when the rating arrives?

Read the comments carefully before reacting. Thank your manager if it is good. If it is disappointing, ask for a conversation to understand the reasons, and focus on what would change the outcome next year. Keep the discussion calm and specific.

Keep reading

• Handing Over Before Leave When Stakeholders Are Silent
• The Team Wants a New Approach Days Before the Deadline
• When the Client Team Calls Review Comments Irrelevant

Updated September 2026: in 2019, after an account call that ended calmly with a list of inputs, another delivery person rang to ask whether the changes could be done that night. I suggested we incorporate everything the next day. I have rewritten it into advice on responding to requests for overnight changes.

The other delivery person handled the account team's questions well, and the account team was broadly happy with the proposal. But they added a list of inputs, and soon after the call another delivery person asked whether the changes could be done that day. It was late, and the changes would take hours. I suggested we do them all the next day and share the deck by the afternoon.

When is overnight work justified?

When a real deadline falls before the next working day, such as a submission due in the morning. Without that, overnight changes usually produce tired mistakes and gain little, because nobody reviews the deck until the next day anyway.

How do you decline without seeming unhelpful?

• Ask about the deadline: "When does the client need this?"
• Offer a specific time: "I will have all changes in by 2 pm tomorrow."
• Explain the benefit: one careful pass instead of a rushed one.

What if some changes are urgent?

Split them. Do the one or two changes that genuinely cannot wait, such as a figure the account team needs for a morning call, and schedule the rest. Partial overnight work is often the fair compromise.

How do you plan the next day?

List every input from the call, group them by slide, and estimate each. Share the list with the delivery team in the morning so they can confirm priorities. Finishing the most important changes first protects you if the day gets interrupted.

Why does a calm call still produce pressure?

Because the pressure comes from the timeline, not the tone. Account teams often gather inputs on a call and expect quick turnaround without thinking about effort. A clear, confident proposal for the next day usually resolves it.

What should you record?

The inputs received, the agreed delivery time and who agreed it. If the timeline is later questioned, the record shows the plan was shared and accepted.

Keep reading

• A Same-Day Deadline Lands While You Are on Leave
• Why One Clear Task List From Onsite Cuts Rework
• The Team Wants a New Approach Days Before the Deadline