You know the person. They’ve been with the company for years, know your IBM i environment inside and out, and are usually the first call when something needs attention.
They’ve also probably answered a few of those calls while on vacation.
“Sorry to bother you, but we have a quick question.”
Sometimes it really is quick. Other times, they’re opening a laptop and working through an issue while their family waits for them to get back to vacation. Things happen, and there may be a situation where that call is necessary. But if the same person gets called every time they take a few days off, it’s worth looking at why. Can they actually step away? And does the team have what it needs to cover while they’re gone?
There’s a lot that only they know
An experienced IBM i professional carries years of knowledge about your business along with their technical skills.
They know why a process runs a certain way. They remember the issue that came up three years ago and what it took to fix it. They know which messages need attention, which vendor to call, and what has to happen before the rest of the company starts its day. That knowledge takes years to build. Some of it may be documented. Some of it may just be something they’ve handled for so long that it feels routine. For the person covering, though, it may be completely unfamiliar.
That’s where a vacation can expose gaps nobody realized were there. A procedure is missing a step. Someone doesn’t have the access they need. The contact information is outdated. Or everyone assumed someone else knew how to handle it.
The person leaving worries about what will happen while they’re away, and the people covering don’t feel prepared. Nobody wants to interrupt someone’s vacation, but nobody wants to guess and create a bigger problem, either.
Being dependable shouldn’t mean always being available
I think most of us have worked with someone who says, “Just call me if you need anything.” And they mean it. They care, they want things to go smoothly, and they don’t want to leave their coworkers in a difficult spot. But we shouldn’t confuse someone’s willingness to help with a coverage plan.
Letting PTO hours pile up because the team needs them and can’t function without them for a week or two is not a badge of honor anyone should be wearing. It’s a sign that the team needs better coverage and support.
Taking time off is important. Your team members are more valuable to the company when performing at their best. That means having time to rest, spend time with the people they care about, and enjoy a life outside of work without feeling guilty or keeping one eye on their email. Even if the phone never rings, checking messages and keeping a laptop nearby “just in case” can make it hard to relax.
Approving PTO is only part of making this work. People also need to know there’s a plan for coverage while they’re away.
Start with a simple conversation
You don’t need to turn this into a massive documentation project.
Ask your IBM i lead: “If you were out for a week and we couldn’t reach you, what would be hardest for someone else to handle?”
Then listen.
Pick three responsibilities and start there. Who would cover them? What would that person need to know? Do they have the right access? Have they actually done the work, or have they only watched someone else do it? Do they know when to ask for help and whom to contact?
Have the person covering work through the process while your expert is still available. That gives both of them a chance to ask questions and catch anything that might be missing. A procedure that makes perfect sense to the person who wrote it may leave someone else with questions. Working through it together helps you find those gaps before they become urgent.
Even one process that someone else can confidently handle is progress.
Give people time to share what they know
It’s easy to say, “We need better documentation.” It’s harder to make time for it when the same person is already handling daily responsibilities, answering questions, and working through a project list.
But, if this matters to the business, it needs room in the schedule. That might mean an hour a week to document a recurring task, recording a walkthrough, or time for another team member to learn alongside them. Ask the person responsible what would help make coverage workable.
If the answer is that they’re stretched too thin, that deserves attention. Adding documentation to their list without adjusting anything else probably won’t get you very far. The preparation shouldn’t all fall on the person trying to take a vacation.
Coverage doesn’t have to come entirely from your team
For a small IBM i team, having another person available to cover isn’t always realistic. Someone may already be juggling several responsibilities, and cross-training takes time.
Outside support can be part of the plan. Depending on what your provider offers, that might mean purchasing a block of hours for vacation coverage or arranging for a preferred vendor who knows your environment to be available if the team needs help.
If you work with a managed services provider, let them know a teammate will be out. Talk through what that person normally handles, what’s included in your agreement, and whether anything needs additional coverage.
The important part is making those arrangements before someone leaves. Having hours available or a vendor’s phone number doesn’t automatically mean someone is scheduled to cover. Confirm availability, appropriate access, responsibilities, and how the team should request help. It’s also worth giving the provider time with your IBM i lead before the vacation to review relevant procedures, current issues, and anything coming up during the absence.
That gives everyone a clearer plan and makes it easier for the person on vacation to leave their laptop at home.
Be clear about when you’ll call
Before someone goes on vacation, agree on who will handle questions and what should happen if that person needs help.
There may be an issue that warrants a call. But everyone should understand what that looks like and what steps to take first. A routine question shouldn’t automatically go to the person on PTO just because they’re usually the quickest to answer.
When they return, talk about how coverage went. What worked? What was confusing? What did someone need that they couldn’t find? Keep the conversation useful. The goal is to make the next absence easier for everyone.
It’s worth asking before the next vacation
There’s a lot of pride in being the person everyone relies on. There should also be comfort for your team members in knowing they can take a week or two off without the team struggling in their absence.
If your IBM i expert can’t do that today, ask what would help. You may not solve every coverage gap right away. But you can start sharing the knowledge, preparing someone else, or arranging outside support so that taking time off feels manageable for everyone.
A good coverage plan gives your team someone to turn to, keeps your business running, and gives the person on vacation a chance to actually be on vacation.