Holidays are a bit of an abstract notion in India, clients and bosses think nothing of bashing down the screens of colleagues' mobiles and computers for work during a break. But, with Gen Z entering the workforce and a bit of inspo from global counterparts, PR professionals are beginning to set boundaries at work.
As the holiday season rolls around, PRmoment India speaks to a range of PR professionals and career coaching expert, Mira Swarup, to get their views on how to manage work during holidays, when to say 'No' and when to recognise a genuine request.
Navic Learn's Jai Bahal says bluntly, " I believe setting boundaries by communicating availability in advance is the major element PROs forget. Prioritize urgent tasks and delegate when possible. Politely decline non-critical requests, offering alternative timelines.
Use automated replies to manage expectations. Balancing professional responsibility with personal time gives perspective to your client and employer to not disturb during a specific (asked for in advance) period."
Akanksha Gupta, founder of The Other Circle, points out that, "Work requests inevitably arise during a holiday. Preemptively, we try and handhold our clients by offering a repository of pre-prepped information beforehand, especially during year-end holidays such as December, when the whole agency takes leave.
On the other hand, emergencies or unexpected exigencies do arise. We can usually judge which clients these are for, so we do keep our workforce on soft call on a weekly rotation basis to tackle these situations. For PR, most requests come in for content during these times - which we accommodate by adjusting leaves. All this is dependent on the requirement - and we do say no as well if the ask is unreasonable."
Practical Ways to Respond to Holiday Work Requests
When Work Calls During the Holidays: How Do You Respond?
Mira Swarup, executive presence & impact communication coach walks us through practical tips:
Picture this: You’re finally relaxing with loved ones, the festive warmth all around, and your phone buzzes—your boss needs “a quick favour.”
What do you do? Say yes out of habit? Feel guilty for saying no? Or confidently hold your ground?
Moments like these reflect how you prioritize your well-being and boundaries. It’s okay to choose rest. The key is communicating it effectively.
Practical Ways to Respond
1. The Direct Approach - If you prefer clarity:
“Thanks for reaching out. I’m completely unavailable this week. Let’s reconnect after the holidays! Shall we?”
You may choose to be direct and honest, with a clear simple statement stating that you are unavailable at the time OR emphasize the commitment/workload that you are currently dealing with and how adding on more would just hamper productivity.
2. Emphasize Productivity - Frame it professionally:
“I’m on a break to recharge. Taking this on now won’t get my best. Let’s revisit it when I’m back.”
If professional and polite is your style, do acknowledge them for choosing you as their go-to person always and decline this request this time. You may suggest you’d be happy to take this ahead post the holidays for sure OR check if you could discuss this wonderful opportunity post the holidays.
3. Gratitude with Boundaries - Hold your ground warmly:
“I appreciate your trust! This time, though, I’m dedicating these days to family. Happy to pick this up after the break.”
4. Offer Alternatives - If it’s urgent:
“I’m unavailable, but could we loop someone else in for now? I’ll follow up after the holidays.”
Set Expectations: Media REsponses Will be Delayed
Tripti Sharma, co-founder and director of High Hopes, a communication consultancy, says, “In the PR world, managing work requests during the holiday season can be challenging. To navigate this, we make it a point to inform our clients well in advance that this time of year sees slower response times, not just from agencies but also from the media.
Thankfully, many clients today value a strong work ethic while also appreciating the importance of the work-life balance, a principle we prioritise as an agency. "
Avoid Holiday Rush with Scheduled Content
Shruti Mishra, CEO and founder, IImage Stereo Marcom Pvt. Ltd says, "Handling work requests during holidays is always a delicate balance for digital agencies. Effective communication planned well in advance, forms the foundation for managing holiday demands smoothly.
Setting clear expectations with clients ahead of the holiday season, whether about response times or deliverable schedules, helps manage their needs while protecting your team’s downtime.
Plan workflow
Strategic preparation, such as pre-scheduled content and streamlined workflows, allows agencies to stay responsive without overburdening the team.
In the end, strong relationships drive success in the communication field, and that includes respecting your team’s well-being. Encouraging teams to take proper breaks while staying aligned with client expectations ensures they return refreshed, motivated, and ready to deliver results, which also creates space for promising long-term growth."
Delegate, Have a Plan B
Yasin Hamidani, director, of Media Care Brand Solutions, says, "Handling work requests during holidays in PR, marketing, and digital Marketing requires setting clear boundaries while maintaining professionalism.
Proactively communicate your holiday schedule with clients and colleagues, specifying availability and response times. Use automated responses to inform senders of your status and when they can expect replies.
For critical tasks, delegate responsibilities to trusted team members or establish a backup point of contact. Prioritize urgent requests and schedule non-critical ones for your return. Plan ahead by completing major deliverables early and maintaining content calendars. Balancing expectations with transparency ensures you enjoy your time off while keeping clients reassured and informed.
Simplify and Automate Response Processes
Mitali Ahuja, assistant manager of, marketing and communication team, ZETWERK, says "I've often noticed that work requests during holidays or weekends can create unnecessary stress, but I’ve always believed it’s about the way you approach them—both individually and as a team.
I don’t let it derail my plans but instead integrate it into my day so that I can handle the task quickly and move on to other activities.
Within the team, I focus on building a structure that makes work manageable, no matter when it comes up. My approach is to simplify processes so that everyone knows how to respond to urgent requests without feeling overwhelmed. When processes are in place and habits are formed, handling a quick work task becomes second nature and doesn’t feel like a burden."
Ahuja adds, "People talk about work-life balance, but I believe in work-life integration. It's about creating harmony where both coexist, allowing you to be productive and fulfilled without one coming at the cost of the other."
As Aayush Pandey, PR and media consultant, puts it, "Holidays are for relaxing, but work sometimes shows up uninvited. The best way to deal with it is to focus only on what’s urgent and let people know when you’ll handle the rest. This way, you get work done without letting it spoil your time off."
"For PR practitioners, the holidays often involve managing urgent client needs, seizing unexpected media opportunities, and handling crisis communications. Of course, you cannot predict everything, but success in these situations hinges on clear, prior communication with clients and colleagues regarding expectations and the prioritization of critical tasks. By staying organized and maintaining open lines of communication, PR professionals can effectively balance work commitments while enjoying the holiday season," said Piyush Lilaramani, director- of integrated communications at Gnothi Seauton.
Avoid Feeling Guilty and Imposter Syndrome
In conclusion, do introspect when you say yes to work out of guilt,
Swarup advises, ask yourself:
- Am I afraid of disappointing someone?
- Do I believe being always available makes me indispensable?
Setting boundaries doesn’t mean you’re less committed—it shows you value balance and will return refreshed and focused.
Tips to Set Boundaries
The request and the situation for both the communicators may vary and each one may have their priorities and reasons, hence a couple of points that may come handy are as below:
- Be Assertive, and practice saying "no" confidently and politely
“I’d love to help, and I’m unavailable right now. But we could ask Anita to help you with this.”
- Clearly communicate your availability and limitations, right from the start. Communicate your break beforehand.
- Don’t ever let the imposter syndrome get to you. Trust Yourself: Time off enhances, not diminishes, your value.
- Be empathetic if possible, offer help when you sense urgency or try to provide solutions. Be Empathetic, Not Over-Accommodating: Help only when genuinely urgent.
Happy Holidays all!
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