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“We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Whiteboard”: What Hermie the HR Hermit Crab Can Teach Us About PTO Chaos and Workforce Planning
Summertime in the workplace often brings sunshine, BBQs, and… chaos. In our latest Hermie the HR Hermit Crab comic strip, we explore a reality many HR professionals, project managers, and team leads dread: the Out of Office (OOO) Spiral.
Sharyl Volpe wrote this story inspired by both past experience managing teams and by the 50th anniversary of the blockbuster movie Jaws. The comic opens with Hermie standing in front of a whiteboard covered with sticky notes and overlapping calendars—something many of us can relate to when we’re trying to coordinate time off, shift coverage, and project deadlines. Hermie starts confidently enough:
“Okay, let’s see… Gary’s out next week, Kat’s covering for Mooch this week, and Fetcher won’t be back for two weeks. But wait… when is Kat out?”
Immediately, the cracks begin to show. As Hermie zooms in on the PTO calendar web, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary scheduling issue; it’s a full-blown game of Jenga with missing pieces. By the third panel, Hermie has constructed what he believes is a logical, color-coded, easy-to-follow “Summer Schedule Coverage” chart. But in true workplace fashion, Hermione, his triangle-shaped crab coworker who had been lurking ever closer, enters the scene with confusion:
“So… I thought we all had Fridays off for the summer.”
Hermie responds in the style of Roy Scheider, who played Chief Martin Brody in Jaws:
“We’re gonna need a bigger whiteboard.”
The Real-World Problem Behind the Comic
This humorous strip taps into a serious and all-too-common organizational issue: the challenge of workforce and talent planning during high PTO seasons. Whether it’s summer vacations, winter holidays, or sudden illnesses, many companies find themselves in reactive mode, cobbling together coverage plans, shifting responsibilities, and risking burnout or service disruptions.
While Hermie’s struggle has a comedic air, it reflects a bigger issue: the absence of a clear, coordinated, and communicated PTO strategy. Organizations that fail to plan for seasonal absences and don’t proactively communicate expectations often find themselves scrambling to fill gaps, manage workloads, and maintain business continuity.
Why It Matters
The ripple effects of poor PTO communication and planning are real:
- Burnout: Employees covering for multiple absent coworkers may become overextended, especially if they are also trying to manage their responsibilities.
- Reduced Productivity: Confusion about who’s available and when can delay projects and increase error rates.
- Low Engagement: A workplace that doesn’t respect personal time off or fails to plan for it can create resentment.
- Leadership Gaps: When key decision-makers are all absent at once, teams may lack the necessary guidance.
Better Planning Starts with Better Systems
Hermie’s sticky-note-and-whiteboard system—while charming—is a stand-in for outdated or inconsistent PTO tracking processes. It works… until it doesn’t. The solution isn’t necessarily a bigger whiteboard; it’s a smarter process.
Organizations can improve their approach by:
- Implementing a centralized system: Utilize tools such as shared digital calendars or PTO tracking software integrated with project management systems (e.g., Asana, Trello, or Microsoft Planner).
- Creating a coverage protocol: Establish clear expectations for who covers what when someone is out, and cross-train teams to reduce risk.
- Communicating proactively: Ensure that all staff are aware of the schedule, including “floating holidays,” summer hours, or company-wide closures.
- Building in buffers: Avoid tight deadlines during peak vacation weeks, and allow room for flexibility.
- Making PTO part of strategic workforce planning: HR and operations leaders should work together to align staffing capacity with the business cycle, not just plug holes after the fact.
Humor with a Lesson
The Hermie comic invites us to laugh at the absurdity—but also to reflect on how we can do better. Hermione’s confusion isn’t just a punchline; it’s a signal that not everyone is getting the message. And Hermie’s overwhelmed expression reminds us that when everyone’s OOO, the responsibility lands somewhere—and often unfairly.
So next time you’re building your summer schedule, ask yourself: Are we playing Jenga with people’s time, or are we designing a structure that supports the business and the team?
Because sometimes, it’s not about needing a bigger whiteboard—it’s about needing a better plan.
Contribute to Hermie’s Content and other Freebies
Harmonious Workplaces offers several high-value items to help you in your organization’s development:
- Ask Hermie & download Hermie’s list of The Top 10 Organizational Questions Making You Crabby: https://harmoniousworkplaces.com/ask-hermie/
- Workplace Culture Scorecard: https://harmoniousworkplaces.com/workplace-culture-scorecard/
- Signaling White Paper: https://harmoniousworkplaces.com/signaling-white-paper/
- Psycg Safety White Paper: https://harmoniousworkplaces.com/psychological-safety-white-paper/
- Change Management Fundamentals: https://harmoniousworkplaces.com/change-management-fundamentals/
- Webinar Replay: https://harmoniousworkplaces.com/event/from-fear-to-flourishing-how-leaders-can-build-a-psychologically-safe-workplace/
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