Scheduling vacation time is a real challenge in peak months like summer and around the holidays. This time of year doesn’t have to leave you in a tailspin, though. Implement simple vacation policies and clear-cut rules to end last-minute panic.
Make Vacation Policies Clear
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Define your vacation policies and job scheduling rules very clearly so everyone understands what’s expected. Include this in training materials and have employees sign to acknowledge that they received, read, and understood the policy. This will end confusion down the road. The policy should detail:
- How many employees make take time off at once
- How much notice employees must give for vacation
- How vacation differs from sick or personal time
- Policies for requesting and getting time off
- How vacation days accumulate
Allow Vacation on a First-Come, First-Serve Basis
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First-come, first-serve is the easiest and fairest way to divide vacation time. Make sure you carry out a request process that makes it easy to decide which request came in first. When you know who asked for their time off and when, you can easily grant it to the first person in line and deny those who want the same day off later.
Tell Employees What to Provide Before They Leave
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If others will be taking over the tasks of the absent employee while he’s on vacation, make sure he knows what he needs to give them long before he leaves. This might include contact information, important data, instructions, schedules, and unfinished projects. Give those who will be responsible for taking over these tasks a chance to ask questions before vacation begins.
Implement Policies That Keep the Company Running
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While accrued vacation time seems like a great benefit for employees, it might put your company in a dangerous situation. Consider whether you can afford for key employees to gain whole months of vacation. If you do allow employees to roll over vacation days from one year to another, consider implementing policies that cover how many days you allow consecutively, or the number of vacation days permitted within a three or six month period.
Don’t Bend the Rules
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While it may seem harmless to allow an employee to take vacation time at the last minute when business is slow, this is a dangerous precedent to set. Allowing it once may cause employees to expect this kind of leniency in the future. It could also be perceived as favoritism. Keep it simple and always make employees stick with the rules.
Clearly Differentiate Sick Leave and Vacation Time
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Make the differing rules for sick time and vacation time very clear. Though you can’t completely prevent an employee from taking a sick day when he just wants to relax, you can prevent long vacations masked as an extended illness. After several consecutive sick days, you can ask for medical documentation in order for the employee to return to work.
When you’re clear on how vacation scheduling works, you can approve and deny requests with ease knowing that you don’t have to explain every action to the employee who’s looking for some time off.
Great article! Lots of great tips =) I am planning a vacation soon and am glad I read this. Great writing style too.
Thanks Annie, I’m glad you liked it! Have a happy and safe vaca!