We know, we know! ‘Too early to start thinking about Christmas!!’ – we hear you cry! However, getting a head start on your festive admin is a great idea, to give you ample time to plan how you’re going to run your business over the Christmas period, and give your employees ample time to be aware of your plans and put their annual leave requests in, taking into account any criteria you decide to set, such as Christmas shutdown days.
December can be a difficult time for employers to manage holiday requests. With everyone wanting the same time off, it can be hard to know who gets what.
Here are a few tips on how to allocate Christmas leave fairly:
- Communicate the system for allocating leave in advance. Let your employees know how you will be deciding who gets what time off. This will help to avoid any surprises or disappointment.
- Be reasonable when considering requests. Take into account things like family commitments, religious beliefs, and seniority when making your decisions.
- Lead by example. If you want your employees to be flexible with their holiday requests, be sure to be flexible yourself.
Here are some additional tips:
- Be aware of family and religious beliefs. Many people take time off over Christmas to be with their families or to celebrate religious holidays. Be respectful of these beliefs when allocating leave.
- Consider offering everyone the same time off and asking for their preferred days. This is a fair way to give everyone a chance to get the time off they want.
- Be flexible and allow employees to work from home or take a half-day if possible. This can be a good way to accommodate people who have different needs.
It is also important to remember that you are not legally obliged to grant all holiday requests. If you have a business need to keep certain employees in work over Christmas, you can refuse their requests. However, it is important to be fair and reasonable when making these decisions.
If you are struggling to allocate Christmas leave fairly, it may be helpful to get advice from an HR professional. They can help you to develop a system that is fair and compliant with the law.
Supportis can help employers with all aspects of HR, including managing holiday requests. We have a team of experienced HR professionals who can provide advice and support to employers.
To find out more about Supportis, call today on 0161 603 2156 and speak to one of our friendly team about how we can help your business flourish.
