List the work that remains open
Identify reviews awaiting a draft, drafts waiting for approval and actions with an uncertain public result. In a fictional local business, the usual reviewer leaves on Friday with one response prepared and another waiting for a manager’s factual check. Those items need different next steps. Keep their current states visible instead of handing over a single list labelled outstanding. Include the review reference and relevant internal context, without copying unnecessary customer information into a broad holiday email.
Separate preparation from approval authority
Name the person who can prepare a draft and the person authorised to approve its public wording. One backup may hold both roles if the business has assigned that authority, but it should not be assumed. Define which situations need the owner or another manager. Absence of the usual approver does not make automatic publishing acceptable. Record the backup’s decision boundaries so they can handle ordinary work confidently and know when a response must remain pending.
Check access before the handover starts
Ask the backup to open the relevant review queue and locate a fictional or approved internal test draft. Confirm that they can perform the actions required for their role through the business’s approved accounts. Do not share personal passwords in the handover notes. A person copied into alert emails may still be unable to review the actual draft. Resolve those gaps before the absence begins and record who supports an access problem while the usual operator is unavailable.
Agree how new reviews are assigned
Define where new items appear, who checks that queue and what happens when the backup is also unavailable. Use a schedule the business can actually staff rather than assuming continuous attention. Keep sensitive or uncertain cases visible for the nominated decision-maker. In the fictional business, the backup can draft a routine response while a disputed factual detail remains with the manager. The workflow should reflect those different owners instead of sending every notification to everyone.
Keep publishing states and changes clear
Show whether a draft has been reviewed and which version was approved. If the backup edits approved wording materially, obtain another approval before public use. Check the destination after an authorised action and investigate uncertain results before repeating them. Avoid a handover instruction to publish everything in the approved folder without checking its current state. A later review update or internal correction may have changed what is appropriate. Keep each item connected to its latest business decision.
Return responsibility with a short status review
At the end of the cover period, review completed replies, pending decisions and any recurring difficulties. Confirm who owns each remaining item so responsibility does not disappear between the returning person and the backup. Retain the correction and approval history rather than starting a fresh queue. Update the cover instructions from actual experience. Successful cover means the work stayed owned and the approval boundary held; it does not require every review to receive a reply regardless of unresolved facts.