How Engineering Managers Should Prepare for Vacation: 4 Handover Options Explained

Going on vacation as an engineering manager? Learn how to hand over leadership smoothly, with 4 real-world options and actionable tips.

When you go on vacation, someone has to step up.

In an ideal world, your team would handle everything themselves, business as usual. But reality rarely plays out that way. Even with a strong, self-sufficient team, a longer break (2+ weeks) demands a clear vacation handover plan.

In this guide, I'll walk you through:

  • 4 options for vacation handover, with real-world pros & cons:
    • Your manager
    • The product manager
    • A fellow team leader
    • One of your developers
  • How to choose the right option (spoiler: it's almost always the 4th)
  • Tips for a smooth transition before, during, and after your time off

Let's dive in.

4 Vacation Handover Options for Engineering Managers

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1. Your Manager

The most common option. Having an experienced leader cover you brings peace of mind. Your developers already know and respect your manager's authority, and things usually run smoothly.

Pros:

  • Deepens your manager's understanding of your work and team dynamics. (This helped me massively in future conversations.)
  • Confident handling of leadership situations.
  • Minimal disruption to business priorities.

Cons:

  • Less available to dive into your team's day-to-day issues.
  • Less familiar with your specific product and technical domain.

2. The Product Manager

I tried this early in my leadership career. Our PM had a strong technical background and strong connections with the team, so it worked naturally.

Pros:

  • Knows the business side intimately.
  • Strengthens collaboration between devs and PMs.

Cons:

  • Usually lacks technical depth - critical tech decisions or incidents may require someone else.
  • Business priorities may overtake technical needs, causing tech debt buildup.

3. A Fellow Team Leader

I've seen this approach, but it's my least favorite.

Pros:

  • Developers experience a different leadership style.
  • Cross-team feedback helps align R&D culture.
  • Familiar with team management routines.

Cons:

  • Their "home team" will always take priority.
  • Doesn't know your domain well.

4. One of Your Developers

Here’s where it gets interesting.

This is my preferred choice. Promoting a developer to temporarily lead has amazing benefits.

Pros:

  • Gives emerging leaders a chance to develop management skills.
  • Spreads your knowledge, reducing team dependency on you.
  • Exposes the developer to stakeholders like Support, CS, PMs.
  • The team members will want their peer to succeed, stepping up collectively.

Cons:

  • Delivery might slow down initially - mistakes will happen (and that's okay).

How to Choose the Best Option

It’s not one-size-fits-all.

Over the past two years, I took six vacations. In five cases, a developer took over. In the sixth, during a messy critical phase, I asked my manager to step in.

In another job, where I had a dominant PM, she usually covered me.

Best practice: Have a clear "second-in-command" - one developer who knows it's her job when you’re out. She leads standups, owns Retros, keeps things moving. This is super useful even if you are not on a vacation!

Reassess your choice periodically. If your team is still junior, it's tempting to default to your manager. But after 4–6 months, someone should be ready. Don't stay stuck.

Quick Decision Flow

  • ✅ Do you have a capable, willing developer?
  • ✅ If not, can your PM cover to your standards?
  • ✅ If not, ask your manager.
  • ➖ If unavailable, can another TL step in?
  • 😅 If not - be ready to clean up some mess after.

Tips for a Smooth Vacation Handover

Before Vacation:

  • Write a thorough handover doc with key issues, risks, contacts.
  • If it's their first time, let them shadow you for a sprint.

During Vacation:

  • Stay offline unless you're explicitly needed.
  • Let them handle mistakes. That's part of growth.

After Vacation:

  • Ask your team, PM, and manager for feedback.
  • Coach whoever filled in.
  • Adjust your handover process for next time.

Summary

When you’re away, someone must lead.

Choose your handover option intentionally. Prepare well. Let go during. Debrief after.

Handled right, your vacation is not just rest - it's an opportunity to grow leadership within your team.

Now comes the hard part - actually planning that vacation. 🙃

FAQ: Vacation Handover for Engineering Managers

Q: How early should I plan my vacation handover?
Start 2–3 weeks ahead. It gives you enough time for handover documentation and shadowing.

Q: Should I stay reachable during my time off?
Ideally, no. Only respond if your team specifically asks and it’s urgent. I like to delete Slack during vacations, and be available in Whatsapp. People will be more hesitant to use it.

Q: How do I pick the right developer to step up?
Look for someone who shows ownership, communicates clearly, and earns peer respect - not necessarily the most senior engineer. You can also just ask who wants that experience.

Q: What if no one is ready yet?
Use this as a leadership priority: start mentoring someone immediately. Choose one of the 3 other options meanwhile (your manager, the PM, a peer).

Q: What should a handover document include?
Open issues, critical risks, key contacts, expected decisions, escalation paths.