If you’re an employer, you’re probably already aware of the problems caused by many workers putting in requests for annual leave over a relatively short period of time. You won’t want to have half the workforce off at a time when many companies face a busy workload, so how can you keep both your customers and your employees on side so that everyone keeps their cool?
There are several ways in which a business can handle this situation:
Depending on when your leave year starts, it could be a good idea to get staff to put their requests in early. That way, popular times can be identified, managing the workforce will be a lot easier and there is plenty of time for employees to change their arrangements if they have requested a week when there will be very few people in. Employees should be advised that if they put their request in late, they will be extremely unlikely to have it granted, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Make sure that the staff handbook contains the rules on annual leave and that everyone is up to date on what those rules are. The handbook should cover the ways in which annual leave can be requested, how much notice is required and the protocols for handling oversubscribed periods. Employees should be made aware that if they book a holiday before their request for annual leave has been approved, any money they lose will not be the responsibility of their employer.
For employers who have a busy period, it may be an idea to prohibit annual leave during that time. If you do consider this option, then it is a very good idea to inform everyone at the earliest opportunity. The best way to do this is to incorporate it into the staff handbook. However, if you don’t want to revise/reprint the staff handbook, you can circulate the information by use of memo or letter. Remember that the earlier you let everyone know, the more likely they are to take it into account when planning their holidays.
When considering requests for annual leave, you should try to be fair to everyone, even if you cannot give them exactly what they want. For example, if they have requested a fortnight but this is not possible, offer them one week off instead. Try to make sure that one particular person is not getting their requests approved while others never do; that can cause a great deal of resentment (or even accusations of discrimination), which can be avoided by an even-handed approach.
It is worthwhile asking staff to consider a degree of flexibility when making requests for annual leave. In some cases, it is not possible due to other circumstances but it is worth considering.
Consideration on the part of the employer will be appreciated by staff. Summer is, as we have already noted, a time when workers with families find it difficult to arrange care cover or holidays and if you give a little when it comes to holiday requests, you will receive greater commitment and motivation in return.
Although religious festivals occur all year round, there are several significant ones that fall during the summer months. Employers should be aware of these so that if they have employees who are religious, arrangements can be made for the times that they will be absent.
If an employee makes a request for extended leave at a particular time for religious reasons, then the employer should make every reasonable attempt to accommodate it. The dates of many religious festivals are known about long in advance and it should be possible, with sufficient notice, to make the necessary arrangements. You should bear in mind that a blanket refusal to give those requesting it time off for religious reasons may lay you open to accusations of discrimination.
Above all, you should ensure that you make the most of the various channels of communication with your employees. If there are problems with granting annual leave requests or there is a period during the year when it will be very difficult to allow anyone leave, the sooner that everyone knows about this, the better it will be and the easier to plan and manage the workload. Soliciting the input of the workforce can often reap dividends as many people are reasonable in their approach to this issue and may offer to work through one leave period if they can be recompensed at a later date.