If you're a manager, and you're not director or c-suite (i.e., you don't control the budget), this isn't your problem.
Go to your manager and present the situation, and see what they have available to you. Do they have budget for contractors, new hires, etc? Because, if they don't, you don't have any real options besides dumping the work on one or more people, or allowing deadlines to be pushed back.
They either have/make headcount or they don't.
If your business is already short staffed, the employees are already being exploited.
Let me repeat: Perpetual short staffing is exploitation. "Running lean" isn't a real thing, it's just a fancy way to say that the company is making compromises that an established business wouldn't make. You either need staff or you don't.
The business will miss deadlines and that's fine. Unless you own the company, it's not your problem.
Take your entire leave. Do not check email or Slack while you're on leave. Take your entire leave. Do not check email or Slack while you're on leave. Take your entire leave. Do not check email or Slack while you're on leave.
Go to your manager and present the situation, and see what they have available to you. Do they have budget for contractors, new hires, etc? Because, if they don't, you don't have any real options besides dumping the work on one or more people, or allowing deadlines to be pushed back.
They either have/make headcount or they don't.
If your business is already short staffed, the employees are already being exploited.
Let me repeat: Perpetual short staffing is exploitation. "Running lean" isn't a real thing, it's just a fancy way to say that the company is making compromises that an established business wouldn't make. You either need staff or you don't.
The business will miss deadlines and that's fine. Unless you own the company, it's not your problem.
Take your entire leave. Do not check email or Slack while you're on leave. Take your entire leave. Do not check email or Slack while you're on leave. Take your entire leave. Do not check email or Slack while you're on leave.