As November draws to a close, it’s obvious that Christmas is quickly approaching. For those that celebrate, it’s an opportunity to gather with family for the celebrations, which frequently necessitates taking a break from work. But given that a sizable fraction of UK workers celebrate Christmas, how can companies ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to take time off and spend time with their loved ones?
Full time employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks annual leave (the equivalent of 20 days + 8 days bank holiday).
How to effectively handle annual leave periods that are oversubscribed
Companies frequently receive an excessive number of holiday requests around the Christmas season, whether they are for unpaid parental leave or statutory leave. However, how do companies attempt to guarantee that everyone gets part of the time off they have requested?
Planning in advance: For many employers, they ask their employees to request annual leave in advance e.g. 2 weeks before they go. This is good practice, allowing employers to not have too many last-minute requests.
Utilising an annual leave policy:
Having an annual leave policy might help prevent conflicting holiday requests and manage expectations. The policy may outline the process for requesting annual leave, when to do so, and any restrictions on the number of employees who can take time off at once. For this, it can be quite beneficial to implement an HR system like Breathe HR.
Considering limits on carry over/ incentives: A number of employers do offer incentives which result in employees having the ability to take additional annual leave on top of their contractual/statutory entitlements. Employees must use all the statutory holiday (5.6 weeks) before allowing any entitlement to carry forward annual leave to the following year. Ensure this is fair across all employees.
Being honest about the different wishes of employees and having direct conversations: As a Line Manager, you have the right to decline holiday requests; by having an open conversation with your employees you can consider the induvial circumstances and make alternative adjustments where needed e.g. use of unpaid leave.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that, in terms of exercising their holiday entitlement, no employee has the legal right to take a day of leave over another. When preparing for the spike in holiday requests around Christmas, employers should take all of the above suggestions into account. This will help to guarantee that the process is fair, that everyone can take a break, and that no grievances or possible discrimination claims are brought up.
If you require any guidance on the above, please contact one of our HR Consultants on 0345 646 0406 or fill in our online enquiry form and we will be in touch.